Striking Quebec Daycare Workers Enjoy Broad Support
Call to Speak Out Against Back-to-Work Legislation
- Ma place au travail -
The
organization Ma place au Travail (My Place at Work) demands that access
to childcare be recognized as a right by law in Quebec. It is calling
on parents to firmly support the struggle of daycare workers in defence
of their rights.
Workers' Forum is reprinting below the letter the
organization has prepared for people to send to Quebec government
ministers. It was written in response to the statement by the President
of the Treasury Board that back-to-work legislation is part of the
"tools" the government has to put an end to the strike.
***
To: Mathieu Lacombe, Member for Papineau in the Quebec National
Assembly, Minister of Families; Sonia LeBel, Member for Champlain,
President of the Treasury Board; François Legault, Premier of
Quebec.
Re: Reaction to the Early Childcare Centre (ECC) network's unlimited strike
 The
purpose of this letter is to express the full support of parents as
represented by Ma place au travail for ECC educators and support staff.
If the government wishes to avoid the consequences of an unlimited
general strike for families, we strongly encourage it to resolve the
situation through a negotiated agreement rather than through the
application of special legislation.
The potential headache of a walkout does not justify the imposition
of a measure that curtails the right to demand improved working
conditions and a better public child care system. We are concerned that
by forcing child care workers to return to work, you will only
exacerbate the conflict: what if they become so discouraged that they
leave
the system they are working so hard to protect? Their working
conditions have to be improved.
The shortage of affordable, quality child care spaces has hampered
work/family balance for many years. Service disruptions are multiplying
due to the exodus of ECC staff. The quality of services continues to
deteriorate with each departure. Added to this is the anguish felt by
thousands of parents waiting for a place, or the despair felt by those
forced to sacrifice their careers, their studies or their mental health
in response to this crisis.
Above all, it is our children who are paying the price. Those with
particular needs who are not receiving the specialized services they
need. Those who face abrupt and ongoing changes that undermine their
integration into a child care setting as a result of staff departures.
Those who have limited time to interact with staff who are exhausted by
the workload created by a lack of instructional time because of having
to complete the children's files. The workers are the backbone of the
daycare centres and we demand that the government recognize the
essential role they play in the lives of our little ones.
 We
object to the government justifying its bargaining tactics on the basis
of the difficulties we currently face in balancing our family and work
responsibilities. Instead, we urge the government to embrace the
changes proposed by those charged with ensuring the well-being, safety
and healthy development of our children. While doing so, we
request that you provide them the resources they need. You will speak
on our behalf by agreeing to their demands.
In Quebec, we have inherited a network of quality public education
services based on a model of governance by parents and for the
community. The result of feminist and grassroots struggles, our ECCs
have ensured the overall development of our children and increased our
collective economic wealth. Thanks to them, Quebec has risen to the
top of the world's ranking regarding the rate of employability amongst
women aged 20 to 54.
We sincerely hope that the government responds to the demands of
daycare workers, which are also the demands of parents who have had the
opportunity to frequent them, but also of those who one day hope that
their child will be able to flourish in them.
Sincerely,
From a tired, but supportive parent
This article was published in
December 6, 2021 - No. 116
Article Link:
https://cpcml.ca/WF2021/Articles/WO081161.HTM
Website: www.cpcml.ca
Email: editor@cpcml.ca
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