Support for Quebec Public Sector Workers
Legault Government Must Stop Blocking End to Strike
Teachers block entrance to Port of Montreal, December 21, 2023.
December 22 marked the 22nd day of an unlimited general strike by the 66,500 teachers of the Autonomous Teachers' Federation (FAE). Students in 12 school districts in the Montreal, Quebec City, Montérégie, Eastern Townships, Laurentians and Outaouais regions – nearly 40 per cent of Quebec schools -- have been out of school since November 23. The FAE leadership regularly informs its members and the public of the obstacles the Legault government is putting in the way of ending the strike.
On December 21, FAE President Mélanie Hubert said that, despite some 20 days on strike, the government is still not in negotiating mode. The FAE negotiating team had learned through the media that an offer would be tabled later that day. This latest offer was rejected. The employer presented again demands that have already been rejected, and there were major differences between what the government representatives said and what was on paper when the offer was tabled. What's more, one of the teachers' most important demands is class composition. The government refuses to commit to mechanisms that would ensure the opening of new classes to meet students' needs.
The FAE President clarified:
"After more than 90 meetings in 11 months of talks, the 20-day count-down to the indefinite general strike and the 20 days since it was called, there is no longer any doubt in our minds that François Legault's government has no intention whatsoever of helping public schools recover from the deterioration they have suffered over the past 20 years. The employer's proposal for an agreement has little to do with the union's oft-repeated proposals. The Premier and his representatives have opted for a strategy to exhaust teachers by allowing this conflict to drag on, which is completely unacceptable and irresponsible considering teachers' suffering and the impact on students from the lack of quality services."
In fact, the government is continuing its drive to circumvent those elements of the employment contract that restrict it from doing whatever it likes to set the composition of a teacher's workload. At the heart of the battle is the increased power in the hands of the Education Minister. Bill 23, passed on December 7, is another school governance reform that blames teachers for the crisis in the school system by imposing training for expected government-defined competencies, rather than starting from the direct experience of education workers.[1]
It is to the teachers' credit that they refuse to return to teaching without new working conditions that will have a direct effect on the quality of students' study and learning conditions. The Legault government bears full responsibility for the insecurity and anxiety experienced by teachers and families since November 23.
Speaking to the media on December 23, the FAE President said that discussions with management had intensified since Friday: "We're working hard, but there are still discussions to be had, subjects to be negotiated, so I'm going to reserve judgment. [...] We've always had the objective of reaching an agreement before the holidays, but we won't sign an agreement on the cheap."
This article was published in
Volume 53
Number 12 - December 2023
Article Link:
https://cpcml.ca/Tmlm2023/Articles/M530129.HTM
Website: www.cpcml.ca Email: editor@cpcml.ca