The SFPQ union's 27,000 civil servants will vote on a strike mandate

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The 27,000 civil servant members of the Syndicat de la fonction publique et parapublique du Québec (SFPQ) are being asked to vote on a mandate for pressure tactics that could lead to an indefinite strike.

This is an extremely rare event for a large independent union representing civil servants working in various Quebec ministries.

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“Mandates have been given for the strike before; If there was a mandate for an indefinite general strike, I would have to go back to the 1980s,” SFPQ president Christian Daigle said in an interview Monday.

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The 27,000 members of the SFPQ civil servants section will be invited to vote on the mandate between mid-May and mid-June.

In order not to be surprised when the decision is made, the SFPQ has prepared itself: a few months ago, it created a special contribution to create a strike fund. About $10 million has been raised in that fund, Daigle said.

How did SFPQ get to this point?

“From being treated like second-class employees, from having health and education ahead of us, from having health and education get an in-principle deal so quickly because we prioritize them, then we're hungry, then we're tired. We have had no significant employer feedback on our requests that do not have a large monetary impact on 27,000 people,” Daigle said.

The SFPQ had launched a “negotiation blitz” with the Treasury Board but called off talks last Tuesday evening, citing a lack of progress, Daigle said. The union is now waiting for news from the Treasury Board.

On Friday, delegates decided it was best to consult the 27,000 members on the mandate.

The SFPQ, another major bargaining unit with 4,000 workers, reached an agreement in principle and was ratified by members in April.

Daigle said his 27,000 public employees are still being offered a 12.7 percent raise over five years, while the union's overall front is up 17.4 percent over five years.

In the case of SFPQ, the issue of telecommuting is just as controversial as access to ads.

SFPQ had already requested mediation; This will last until May 19. This is a mandatory step before obtaining the right to strike.

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