420,000 Quebec public sector workers strike

While labor negotiations appear to be at a standstill, approximately 420,000 public sector employees in Quebec have gone on a one-day strike to exert pressure on the Quebec government. Widespread protests are expected to take place across the province. Most French-language school service centers have decided to cancel classes in the morning and remain closed until noon. Disruptions in healthcare services are also anticipated.

The members are part of a common front of unions, known in French as "Front commun," and they are seeking better wages and improved working conditions after swiftly rejecting the state's latest offer on October 28. In the latest state offer, base salaries were proposed to increase by 10.3 percent, slightly higher than the previous offer, with some jobs receiving an additional 2.5 to 3 percent increase. The common front is demanding an increase closer to 20 percent over the next three years.

The common front is composed of the following entities:

- Centrale des syndicats du Québec (CSQ).
- Confédération des syndicats nationaux (CSN).
- Alliance du personnel professionnel et technique de la santé et des services sociaux (APTS).
- Fédération des travailleurs et travailleuses du Québec (FTQ).

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