This text is part of the special International Women’s Day booklet
On December 3, the Intersyndicale des femmes published an open letter calling for the creation of a real network of entirely public childcare services in order to offer mothers and children real equality of opportunity. “It was a way of saying ‘bravo for the 20th anniversary of the network, but we also need to complete it’”, sums up Éric Gingras, president of the CSQ.
Since its foundation, our public day care system, created with the aim of allowing women to take a greater place in the labor market, has made many people jealous. But 20 years later, there is a serious shortage of places in early childhood centers (CPE). “With the government in place, there does not seem to have been any change in the number of daycare places,” says Sandra Etienne, vice-president at the Alliance du personnel professionnel et technique de la santé et des services sociaux (APTS ) and political leader of feminist action.
The Intersyndicale des femmes (of which the APTS is a member) therefore published an open letter to launch a cry from the heart and recall the importance of these services for work-family balance. The Intersyndicale brings together several unions that are mobilizing to convey a message and advance the situation of women. “It’s essential to encourage women to enter the labor market,” continues Ms.me Etienne.
Beyond promises
The Legault government promised at the start of its mandate the creation of 37,000 new child care spaces, a commitment it repeated last fall. While the upheavals of the pandemic have slowed those plans, this one has highlighted the paramount importance of child care. “We saw that society needed this service. When the Quebec economy closed, schools and daycare centers were maintained, ”recalls Éric Gingras, president of the Centrale des unions du Québec (CSQ), also a signatory of the open letter.
In addition to the creation of places as such, the request of the Intersyndicale is clear: to create a network of fully public daycare centres. “We don’t want half measures; the government recognizes that CPEs are important, but at the same time subsidizes private places. And that is not the solution,” remarks M.me Etienne.
For a public network
Union representatives we spoke to said they had no feedback after the letter was published, although they remain in constant conversation with the government. “It is time to act, and the solution requires a real universal public network”, believes Mme Etienne.
A survey of APTS members in the fall indicated that one person in three had postponed their return to work, and that one person in three had changed their availability because they (because they are in majority of women) did not have a place in a CPE. “They have to go to the private sector, and that does not meet their needs”, says Mme Etienne. In addition to costing more, private daycares do not offer the same flexibility for those with atypical schedules. Some must make the choice to return to work part-time or not at all. In addition to facilitating work-family balance, a public system would also guarantee quality educational services to all children.
Conditions to improve
While the health system has been put to the test during the pandemic, work-family balance is one of the factors in attracting and retaining staff. The government must absolutely recognize the role of women in the economy, argue the unions. “We must not just mention it, we must take concrete action. We must invest in predominantly female sectors to enable us to contribute to society,” said Ms.me Etienne. Éric Gingras, whose central represents mostly women from public services but also staff in CPE, also wants the announcements of additional places not to become pre-election promises that will vanish.
The government did improve the salaries of educators in the fall, but it must continue to improve the conditions so that people want to work in CPEs. “We have to talk about working conditions and personal recognition, and for all CPE staff, not just for educators,” adds Mr. Gingras.
The vice-president of the APTS mentions that her alliance will mobilize as long as things do not change. “Women have been waiting for a long time. To advance society in general, it goes through the advancement of women’s rights, ”she concludes.