Quebec and public workers unions reach agreement-in-principle

After months of negotiations, pressure tactics and rotating strike days, Quebec's public workers and the government have reached an agreement-in-principle.

Martin Coiteux, theTreasury Board president, announced that the two sides reached a deal Thursday afternoon.

"After many hours of work, work that was very constructive, I'm able to confirm that we have an agreement-in-principle with the Front Commun," Coiteux said.

'Rigorous and fruitful' talks

"The work was rigorous and fruitful," said Louise Chabot, president of theCentrale des syndicats du Qubec, adding that the unions will recommend to their membership acceptance of the proposed deal.

Thecommon frontof public-sector workers' unions represents 400,000public servants, including teachers, health care professionals, caretakers and white-collar workers.

The workers have been without a collective agreement since April.

Over the last few months, union members said they were dissatisfied with the slow pace of the bargainingtalks.

The two sides started off "light years"apart, with unions demanding a 13.5 per cent pay increase over three years. The government proposed a three per cent increase over fiveyears. That included a two-year salary freeze, as well as changing workers' retirement age from 60 to 62.

Unions, angry with the government's counter-offers,said negotiations continued to lag, and members voted overwhelmingly in support of holding six rotating strike days throughout the fall.

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Details of Thursday's agreement-in-principle are not being released.

"We won't go intodetails about the content of the agreement...to give them a chance to present the details to their membership," Coiteux said.

"It's an agreement that comes in the context of a difficult budget situation. That was a particular challenge in this situation, but we were able to do things that were really positive and respect the financial constraints. So we're happy about that."

A news conference is to be held on Saturday in Montreal, at which time moreinformationabout the proposed deal will be revealed.

Union members will vote on the agreement-in-principle in January.