A new agreement in principle has been reached between Quebec and the Federation of bus carriers (FTA), announced the cabinet of the Ministry of Education Thursday.
Updated yesterday at 6:47 p.m.
“Thanks to this new agreement, it was agreed with the carriers that school transportation must be provided from the start of the school year, regardless of where you are in Quebec,” reads the press release from the announcement. “It is now up to the school service centers to organize the service as quickly as possible. »
The news was first released by a press release from the Center de services scolaire de Laval (CSSDL).
An agreement in principle was announced Friday by the Ministry of Education. On Tuesday, however, the Federation of Public Service Employees (FEESP-CSN) spoke of a “potential rejection” of the agreement “by several school carriers”, a few days before the start of the school year.
Several of them had still not signed a contract with the school service centers on Thursday morning, judging the offer insufficient.
“The offer will be rolled out gradually from [vendredi] morning”, we learn in the government press release. This is particularly the case at the Montreal School Services Center (CSSDM), where the start of the school year, which takes place on Friday, should be accompanied by an operational transport service for the approximately 6,700 students who depend on it, according to the spokesperson. Alain Perron.
Many school service centers, including Montreal, Laval, and Grandes-Seigneuries on the South Shore of Montreal, advised parents earlier this week that unless there is a quick agreement, they should organize for the transport of their children.
Even if the situation is resolved in theory, Mr. Perron advises parents who can to stick to their plan B, “because it is not certain that [vendredi] all the buses are on time”.
Negotiations to reach this late agreement were tainted in particular by inflation, rising fuel costs, and labor shortages, according to the Ministry of Education.