Public-sector workers take part in an anti-austerity protest on Dec. 9 in Montreal.Ryan Remiorz/The Canadian Press
The vast majority of Quebec schools were closed Wednesday as tens of thousands of public sector workers took to the streets to protest lagging contract talks with the province.
"It's the largest national public sector strike since 1972," said Jacques Letourneau, head of the Confederation of National Trade Unions. "There were 210,000 on strike at the same time then and today there are more than 400,000."
Those on strike included members of a common front of public and para-public sector unions as well as a union representing one-third of the province's teachers.
The exact number of people who hit the streets could not be determined but the unions on strike represent more than 400,000 workers.
Health-care workers and civil servants maintained essential services but parents had to find other arrangements for school-aged children.
Major demonstrations took place in Montreal and Quebec City and several government buildings had picketers stationed out front.
A few thousand people marched in downtown Montreal around the lunch hour while a large banner on a plane carried the slogan, Mr. Coiteux, We Deserve Better — a reference to Treasury Board President Martin Coiteux.
For Coiteux, the protests were unnecessary because the province has concluded negotiations with 30 groups including those representing nurses and junior-college professors.
He called it a "pity" that regular citizens are made to suffer when, according to him, agreements are close to being reached.
"Given the problems it caused citizens, this protest, although legal, wasn't pertinent at this point," Coiteux said, referring to parents having to scramble to find child care.
Contract talks have been lagging since collective agreements expired last March and one union leader said Wednesday's actions look to build on those deals.
"Yes, there have been certain agreements, but there is still one last part to solve and that's why our members are here today," said Daniel Boyer, president of the Quebec Federation of Labour.
Boyer said members are holding out hope of an agreement before Christmas, although unions agree progress has been slow in key areas such as salary and pensions.
"We want to force the government to negotiate, in good faith, the last outstanding issues: retirement, wages," he said.
For the 400,000-strong common front, which comprises some of the province's most influential labour groups, Wednesday marked a fourth day of job actions. They have a mandate from their membership to have a total of six days.
The FAE teachers' union, which represents about 34,000 teachers encompassing several French boards, will also remain off the job for the rest of the week.
That means students attending 800 schools will be staying home in various regions of the province including Montreal, nearby Laval and the Outaouais area in western Quebec.
FAE president Sylvain Mallette said he's convinced public opinion is tipping in favour of his members as they fight for what he calls adequate resources for public schools.
His union hasn't been at the table since walking away on Nov. 3, but Mallette says his group remains open to returning.