An alliance of unions representing several hundred thousand civil servants in Quebec said Thursday it reached a tentative deal with the government, possibly averting a general strike.
The Common Front, which represents 420,000 public workers in education, health and social services, said in a statement that the two sides reached “a proposed agreement in principle” that will be voted on in January.
This comes after the teachers’ union in Quebec, which represents 66,000 workers at 800 schools, said late Wednesday it reached a tentative deal with the government on salaries and working conditions. The teachers have been on strike for over a month.
Another union that has been negotiating with the Quebec government on behalf of 80,000 nurses and other health workers, however, is still pressing for an agreement.
No details of the Common Front deal were released.
The alliance staged massive walkouts across Quebec in November and December after talks deadlocked, and threatened an unlimited general strike starting in January if no deal was reached by the year’s end.
The unions demanded better pay and working conditions.
