They braved the cold to support public schools: nearly a thousand people, citizens and FAE union members, gathered Friday noon in front of the offices of Prime Minister François Legault in downtown Montreal in support of middle school staff. ‘education.
“Public school, I believe in it”, “The more the CAQ despises us, the more we mobilize”: a sea of demonstrators, placards in hand, blocked traffic on Sherbrooke Street at the intersection of the street McGill College. Cheerful motorists honk their horns in support. Several wore tuques bearing the image of the Autonomous Federation of Education (FAE). The organization has been on strike for a month.
” It is not finished. It’s not over with the FAE, we must continue to support public schools. We have to take care of it,” said Vincent Bolduc, one of the organizers of the gathering. According to him, the population remains attentive to the demands of teachers. “We’re not going back. We will no longer tolerate backsliding. » In recent weeks, Sandra Vineberg-Martel has felt “the beginnings of change. » The teacher braved the cold Friday lunchtime. “This negotiation is not just about salary. It’s about the future of the profession in a broader sense,” she explained.
The colleague who accompanied him, Marie-Ève Lacas, agrees. “It’s more than just salary negotiations. It’s a turning point. »
The two women are delighted with the support of the population. “Even after parents have had to deal with the headache of school, we really feel a wave of solidarity,” said M.me Vineberg-Martel. Several precarious teachers are sacrificing their well-being at the moment, recalls Mme The case. She therefore hopes that things will move forward on January 8. “We feel a little left out,” she added, however, referring to the proposed settlement between the Legault government and the Federation of Education Unions (FSE-CSQ), which represents 60% of union members. . For the moment, there is no proposed settlement with the FAE, which is not part of the Common Front.
Several artists, public figures and politicians took part in the rally in support of public schools. Vincent Bolduc, Catherine Ethier, Simon Boulerice, Sophie Cadieux, Emmanuel Bilodeau, Anaïs Barbeau-Lavalette, Vincent-Guillaume Otis and Isabelle Blais were notably present.
Guillaume Cliche-Rivard and Ruba Ghazal, deputies from Québec solidaire, were also part of the crowd which was still there at the start of the afternoon.