Members of a union representing more than 80,000 health care workers in Quebec have voted against a tentative deal for a new collective agreement with the province.
The Fédération interprofessionnelle de la santé du Québec, commonly known as the FIQ, says 61 percent of members who participated in an online vote that ended at midnight rejected the deal.
The union, whose members include nurses and respiratory therapists, says it now plans to regroup with local representatives and return to the negotiating table in the coming weeks.
The tentative deal included a 17.4 percent general salary increase, new premiums for evening and night work, and greater flexibility for workers to control their own schedules, among other measures.
The rejection of the deal comes after 15 months of negotiations between the FIQ and provincial government.
Quebec settled a series of labour disputes with several other public sector unions this winter.
