Two unions in Quebec representing teachers, FSE and QPAT, affiliated with the Centrale des Syndicats du Québec (CSQ), said on Friday evening that they agreed on a "proposed settlement" with the Legault government amid negotiations to renew collective agreements. 

The unions insist that this development does not represent an agreement in principle, emphasizing that they must first consult their members. However, FSE-CSQ and QPAT said they support the proposed sectoral agreement presented by the provincial government on Friday morning and studied throughout the day.

We had a mandate to make tangible improvements to the daily lives of teachers, based on our three priorities: class composition, workload reduction, and wages, said FSE-CSQ president José Scalabrini and APEQ-QPAT president Stephen Le Soir in a press release late on Friday: "We were able to agree on the draft regulation because we are making progress on these three elements."F

FSE (Fédération des Syndicats de l'enseignement) represents about 95,000 teachers in Quebec while QPAT (Quebec Provincial Association of Teachers) represents members of the English-language school network, both part of the common front of public sector unions in Quebec.

They confirmed that the proposed project is sectoral, meaning it concerns only specific issues, primarily class size and personnel supporting teachers, but issues such as wages, for example, remain disputed, meaning an unlimited strike is still on the table.

The unions warned that "the problem remains unresolved regarding issues raised at the central or intersectoral bargaining table, and in particular, wage issues must be resolved to avoid an unlimited general strike by the common front in early 2024."

Meanwhile, the FAE union, which has 66,000 members and negotiates separately from other teachers' unions, remains at an impasse with the city of Quebec.

In an unlimited strike since November 23, the FAE plans to continue the strike in the new year. Nearly 800 schools in Quebec have been closed for a month.