In Celebration of Labour Day We Suggest An Alternative Counteroffer Respecting the Original $5 Wage Demand

Maintain the original $5 raise demand and equally divide it over the three-year contract. This provides Quebec with an initial financial break and workers’ will not lose $1.50 an hour, approximately $105 – $116 per paycheck, or $2,730 – $3,016 per year.

Manuel’s Blog wishes all healthcare and social sector workers’ a Happy Labour Day. In recognition of this public holiday, which celebrates workers’ rights, we put forward a counteroffer proposal, an idea, an alternative to the latest CSN counteroffer.

The Confédération des syndicats nationaux (CSN), the second largest trade union federation in Quebec by membership, latest counteroffer reduces the public health and social service sector workers original three-year contract salary demand from $5 to $3.50 an hour. The loss of $1.50 per-hour will continue the impoverishment of these workers.

The initial five-dollar pay raise demand ($3-$1-$1), in itself, will not permit public healthcare sector employees to catch up on the buying power they have lost through years of meager pay increases. However, lowering it will be disastrous and continue to erode purchasing power, turning some workers, if not many into the working poor.

If Quebec’s Covid-19 budget deficit is an issue for the organization, an “aspect that stimulated the reflection of federation representatives“, then, a better alternative – at least for the workers – is to maintain the original five-dollar raise demand and equally divide it over the three-year contract. This provides Quebec with an initial financial break and workers will not lose $1.50 an hour, approximately $105 – $116 per paycheck, or $2,730 – $3,016 per year.

For Confederation and Federation Executives who earn a six-figure income, a $1.50 an hour loss in pay most probably would not have a major impact on their day to day living, but for the vast majority of Quebec healthcare and social sector workers’, the loss will be harshly felt.

Plus!

A clause in the new agreement would at the end of the three year contract, when the Quebec post-Covid-19 economy has recovered, or is well on its way to recovery, workers would be paid the difference in lost wages from the original salary demand for each contract year. Therefore, in first year the different from the original $3 to $1.67, the second the difference from $4 (3 +1) to $3.34 (1.67 x 2), etc.

Healthcare workers continue to sacrifice and risk, their health, their families health, their vacations, personal days, regular work shifts and now the economy. It’s time to show our healthcare workers $incere appreciation.