Legislated back to work?

Some health-care and social workers reject tentative agreement

A large group of workers in the health- care and social services has rejected a tentative agreement with the government. The national union (FSSS-CSN), representing roughly 110,000 public sector workers, made the announcement in early March.

Close to 75% of union accreditations with the FSSS-CSN rejected the agreement. As a result, the FSSS-CSN will resume the negotiations with the Treasury Board, something Minister Sam Hamad is not warm to.

Hamad, who has replaced Martin Coiteux as head of the Treasury Board, urged the CSN to ask its members to reconsider the deal – one accepted by other unions within the Common Front.

Minister Hamad argued that three of the four groups represented by the CSN, a Common Front movement member, have already signed on. The minister said his government has reached an accord with almost 70% of public and para-public unions.

With this response, it appears the unionized workers who have rejected the agreement or who are still negotiating now face a contract decreed by the government; this includes members of the FAE, which represents 34,000 teachers. The FAE requested  a mediator on March 8 to pursue the talks.