April 20, 2026

2023-2028 Agreement negotiated by the Common Front

PROTECTING PURCHASING POWER:
THE ADJUSTMENT CLAUSE IS SET IN MOTION

Statistics Canada released the Consumer Price Index (CPI Quebec) for March 2026 today. The results confirm that the threshold for triggering the mechanism to protect our purchasing power, reintroduced in our collective agreements by the Common Front, has officially been reached.

2.71%

This is the percentage growth of the average annual CPI from April 1, 2025 to March 31, 2026 compared to that of the previous period from April 1, 2024 to March 31, 2025. Since this result exceeds the 2.6% wage increase received on April 1, 2025 by at least 0.05%, our wage adjustment mechanism is activated to close the gap.

PAYROLL ADJUSTMENT

The difference between actual inflation (2.71%) and the increase covering the period from April 1, 2025 to March 31, 2026 of 2.6% translates into a 0.11% adjustment in our wages. This mechanism fulfills its mission: to guarantee the protection of our purchasing power during the duration of the collective agreement.

In other words, its role is to ensure that inflation does not create impoverishment. How? Closing any gaps, up to a maximum of 1.0% per year for the last three years of our collective agreements (2026, 2027 and 2028).

THREE ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS TO REMEMBER
  • Retroactivity: Regardless of when the adjustment appears on your pay, it is retroactive to March 31, 2026.
     
  • Cumulative Effect: This adjustment is applied before the 2.5% wage increase on April 1, 2026. The latter will therefore be recalculated on the already adjusted salary of 0.11% as of March 31, 2026.
     
  • Payment Schedule: The employer has a maximum of 180 days following the publication of the Statistics Canada data to implement the adjustment and pay the retroactivity, i.e. no later than October 17, 2026. You can be assured that compliance with these deadlines will be monitored across all networks.

ANNUAL AVERAGE VERSUS MONTLY INFLATION

Year-on-year inflation (month-over-month) often cited in the media should not be confused (e.g., March 2025 vs. March 2026 which is 2.88%) with inflation based on the annual average used for the calculation we negotiated (the whole of 2024-2025 vs. the whole of 2025-2026). The method based on the annual average, as indicated in our agreements, gives a more representative result.

A SIGNIFICANT GAIN IN THESE TIMES OF GREAT INSTABILITY

International instability and geopolitical tensions continue to put constant pressure on prices. Beyond the statistics, the daily reality – marked by the explosion of housing, food, and energy costs – weighs heavily on our budgets.

In these contexts of unpredictable upheavals, the protection mechanism negotiated by the Common Front demonstrates its full relevance. It acts as a wall, ensuring that our purchasing power is not sacrificed to the moods of the global economy. It is not up to the workers to assume these risks.