After 11 days on strike in November and December, a “common front” of public sector unions in Quebec reached a tentative agreement with the provincial government.

The new deal provides for a 17.4 per cent pay rise over five years for all workers, an inflation protection clause for the last three years, and a 6 per cent increase for the first year of the agreement, with a retroactive date of April 1, 2023.

Teachers will receive an average bonus of four per cent compared to the salary increases all common front union members are entitled to over five years. With this bonus, teachers’ pay will rise by 17.4 to 24.5 per cent, depending on their level.

Working conditions improvements include a proposal to add the full-time equivalent of 4,000 classroom assistants to the pre-school and primary school system.