Quebec says public sector union offer 'light years' from acceptable

The Quebec government says a counter-offer made today by public sector unions is "completely unacceptable" and "light years" from an agreement.

The union says itsoffer presented Wednesdaywould amount to a 6.9 per cent salary increase over three years, including a 2.9 per cent increase for2015.

The government disputed the union's numbers, saying the proposalamountsto an increase of10.2 per cent over the same period after correctedGDP projections and salary relativities.

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Treasury Board president Martin Coiteuxsaid such anincreasewould requirea massive increase in taxes and push the province further into deficit.

The government's last offer on Nov. 6 provided for a salary increase that amounted to 5.3 per cent over the nextfive years.

"There's a $12.4-billion difference between what the government is putting on the table and whatthe unionsnow want," Coiteuxsaid.

What thegovernment offered and what it says the unions asked for:

"If this is the case, we have light years ahead of us before we can reach an agreement," Coiteuxsaid.

Coiteuxsaid the province's chief negotiator, Maurice Charlebois, has been asked tomeetwith the unions to find a way around the latest impasse.

'A significant gesture'

The unions were originally seeking a 13.5 per cent increase over five years. Union representativessaid the new offer was aimed at putting an end to the contract stalemate.

"This is a significant gesture," Front commun representativeLouise Chabot said of the new offer.

The Front commun also said it would delay strike days planned for Dec. 1, 2 and 3 in order to give negotiations an opportunity to advance.

"We're giving the government the chance to seize the opportunity that we're giving them today," said Francine Lvesque of the CSN.

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Stalled negotiations

Quebec's Nov. 6 offer was rejected after it wasdeemed"unacceptable"by the unions representing public sector workers.

Thegovernment said it would offer an injection of $1.7 billion more than the its initial offer, or anincrease that could amount to5.3 per cent over five years.

Coiteuxhadtold a news conference Tuesday he believes there's room for negotiation with public sector workers, who have been holding demonstrations and strike days in response to stalled contract talks.

Details of government offer

Under the government's offer made earlier this month,all public sector workers would still see a basicthree per cent salary hike over five years.

But many would see increases higher than that, once salary-scale inequities were adjusted, the treasury board president said.

Right now, two civil servants with the same level of education whose work isclassified at the same rankcould find themselves in entirely different salary gridsbecause of the way past collective agreements were negotiated.

At the time, Coiteux said the proposed changes to the grid have long been sought by the unions and would improve the long-term prospects for younger public servants starting out in their careers.

"They will have a higher average salary over their whole career andthat will have a positive impact on their retirement, as well," he said.

Among other proposals in the government offer:

• A delay in the plan to raiseretirement age from 60 to 62. This measure would be implemented over the next four years instead of two.
• The withdrawal of a proposal to calculate retirement pensions based on an employee's best eight years of service. The current practice of basing pensions on an employee's best five years of service would remain.