(Montreal) After two weeks of assemblies out of five, the agreements in principle of the common front unions in the public sector have been commonly endorsed by those who have already voted.
The various unions of the CSQ, the CSN, the APTS and the FTQ, which form the common front, representing 420,000 workers in health and education, are called upon to decide until February 21.
For example, at the imposing Federation of Health and Social Services (FSSS), affiliated with the CSN, support ranges from 72 to 100% in favor of the agreement, it was reported on Friday.
At the Alliance of Professional and Technical Personnel in Health and Social Services (APTS), consultations were carried out in nine out of 49 accreditation units. All adopted the agreement in principle, in proportions varying from 57%. at 82%.
At the Quebec Union of Service Employees (SQEES), affiliated with the FTQ, votes in favor of the agreement ranged from 70% to 96%.
Education
At the CSQ, among college teachers, six unions out of 16 voted and all are in favor of the agreement. Among college support employees at the CSQ, six voted out of 14, all in favor.
At the Fédération des syndicats de l’enseignement (FSE), affiliated with the CSQ, which represents the majority of primary and secondary teachers in Quebec, some results have already filtered through. The four unions in Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean voted in favor of the agreement.
In Vieilles-Forges, in Trois-Rivières, the intersectoral agreement, relating to salaries and the pension plan, was supported by 88%, but the sectoral agreement, relating to the composition of the class and the task of teachers , received a 50.2% negative vote.
On Friday, the FSE said it remained “cautious” because there are still several assemblies to come in the coming weeks. “Teachers recognize progress; others emphasize their disappointment with what the government has offered regarding the composition of the class,” the FSE said.
Among CSQ academic support employees, 12 out of 18 voted, nine in favor and three against.
Among CSQ education professionals, nine out of nine voted in favor.
And the FAE
Meanwhile, the Autonomous Federation of Education (FAE) which represents other primary and secondary teachers, and which is not part of the common front, finds itself in a delicate situation. Four of his unions approved his agreement in principle and four rejected it.
The FAE and the FSE have the same salary increases, but not quite the same agreement on working conditions. The agreements differ especially on the composition of the class and the means taken to lighten the teachers’ workload.
In an interview on Radio-Canada radio, the former president of the FAE, Sylvain Mallette, reported that the FSE-CSQ agreement contained gains that the FAE had not obtained. He cited as an example the fact that the FSE had been able to keep a clause providing for the release of a teacher who serves as a mentor, which the FAE could not have, according to him.
Mr. Mallette maintained that the government had thus wanted to “thank” the FSE and “punish” the FAE for having gone on strike for 22 days, while the FSE only did so for eight days.
PHOTO EDOUARD PLANTE-FRÉCHETTE, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
President of the Treasury Board Sonia LeBel
This comment from the former president of the FAE caused the President of the Treasury Board, Sonia LeBel, to react. “The assertion that the government wanted to punish the FAE is unfounded. I respect the voting process, but let’s get the facts straight: the unions that represent teachers were treated fairly. Each agreement has its particularities, which take into account possible solutions formulated by the unions, but equity between teachers is not negotiable, regardless of union affiliation. There will not be two categories of teachers in Quebec,” she commented.
The former FAE president also criticized the organization’s strategy, saying it should have stopped the indefinite general strike after a certain time. He believes it is possible, if the majority of FAE members reject the agreement, to return to negotiate with Quebec to obtain a better agreement, without resorting to an indefinite strike again.