By Ruby Pratka

Local Journalism Initiative

Public sector union leaders say there’s no plan for a general strike to begin Oct. 31, despite an assertion to that effect last week by Premier François Legault.

“Unions always think they have to go on strike to gain as much as possible, so we’re going to expect a strike on Oct. 31,” Legault told reporters on Oct. 17, the day after the conclusion of a round of strike votes where locals under four public sector union federations voted in support of a strike mandate by an average of 95 per cent.

Éric Gingras is the president of the Centrale des syndicats du Québec (CSQ) and a co-spokesperson for the Front Commun, the negotiating bloc made up of the CSQ, the Fédération des travailleurs du Québec (FTQ), the Conseil des syndicats nationaux (CSN) and the Alliance du personnel professionnel et technique de la santé et des services sociaux (APTS).

“We don’t usually comment on rumours, but unfortunately, we have to comment on this one because it came from the premier,” Gingras said. “That [Oct. 31 strike date] is not what is planned.”

Gingras said unions that go on strike are bound by legal restrictions that require ten days of advance notice before any strike action. “A strike action is not something that we’ll announce the night before,” he said. He also said union members would most likely engage in a series of brief, time-limited strikes before taking the rare and drastic step of an unlimited general strike. Such a strike would close schools, colleges and daycares around the province, and some health care workers would also walk picket lines, although the Essential Services Act ensures that there won’t be service interruptions in the sector. A Front Commun statement released Oct. 18 said “Bientôt en Grève” (“On strike soon”) banners will soon pop up across the region. “This is a clear warning to the government that public sector workers are willing to go all the way,” the statement said.

Gingras said negotiations were ongoing between the Front Commun, which represents a combined 420,000 public sector workers in health, education and social services fields, and the government. Union leaders have previously told the BCN that a salary increase below the predicted rate of inflation, the imposition of pension penalties for those who retire early and working conditions that they say don’t encourage retention are among the major sticking points. “The goal is to get an offer that’s satisfying for our members – we don’t want to have to reach an unlimited general strike. The next few weeks [of negotiations] will be key,” said Gingras.

“If we go on strike, people will find that difficult – we know that,” he added. “We’re fighting so that the public can have the levels of service they’re entitled to, so that our members will be able to better serve the public.”