Teachers are not the only ones experiencing a difficult aftermath of the strike. Speech therapists from the public network consider the Common Front’s new agreement in principle “extremely disappointing” and are preparing to vote against the proposal.
“For speech therapists, this is extremely disappointing. We once again have the impression of not being recognized as professionals in schools,” explains Anne-Marie Miville, who works as a speech therapist in schools in the National Capital.
“I have lots of feelings. I am disappointed, sad and outraged. It is rare that our contribution to the school world is recognized. We went a little unnoticed,” said speech therapist in schools in the Quebec region Nadia Rhéaume.
Both recognize certain advances in terms of salary, but would nevertheless have liked speech therapists to obtain a differentiated offer, like psychologists.
“We still have a master’s degree and we have a major contribution to the development of students,” notes Mme Rhéaume.
We feel a little that there is an inequity. It creates a lot of frustration
Anne-Marie Miville, school speech therapist
In terms of salaries, the Common Front obtained increases of 17.4% over five years. All psychologists in the health and education networks will also obtain a 10% salary increase, regardless of the number of hours worked. This salary increase is taken into account by the pension plan, that is to say it will have an impact on the benefit paid to psychologists upon their retirement.
This reality is far from unique. Tuesday, The Press reported that the teachers of the Autonomous Federation of Education (FAE) also share a form of “disillusionment”, even a feeling of “defeat”, disappointment and anger, in the face of the agreement in principle concluded between their union and Quebec.
Exodus to the private sector
Several speech therapists we spoke to fear that this lack of recognition will lead to the exodus of their colleagues to the private sector. “There are some who say that they are thinking of going to the private sector. They are looking at prices for commercial premises, for example,” illustrates M in this sense.me Miville.
And time is running out, since already in October, there remained 156 speech therapist positions to be filled in the public network, as reported The Press in November. This is 21 more positions than at the same date in 2022.
“There is a shortage of speech therapists both in the school network and in the health network and there are still months of waiting to receive speech therapy services,” laments Catherine, a speech therapist in the health field who preferred to withhold his last name for fear of reprisals from his employer.
When elementary speech therapist Véronique Lemaire left for maternity leave last year, her position was not filled. “For a year, there was no one. I came back in November and I had a pile of files that had accumulated. I have to pedal even faster to catch up. »
A measure considered disappointing
Geneviève Fortin-Boudreault, a school speech therapist, also deplores Quebec’s offer to reimburse up to half of contributions to professional orders only to employees with a full-time position. “Easily half of us are speech therapists who are not full time for our mental health and for our family balance. »
Working part-time, Mme Fortin-Boudreault will not have access to reimbursement.
“There is a disappointment. I work 80%, because I have three children, one of whom has a chronic illness,” she says.
The government has committed to reimbursing half of the contribution to professional workers’ orders up to an annual sum of $400 for full-time employees whose position requires membership to the order. This is particularly the case for speech therapists.
Ultimately, therefore, several speech therapists are preparing to vote against the agreement in principle. “It’s to show my dissatisfaction,” said Nadia Rhéaume.
We always say it’s going to be our turn at the next convention. I have been working as a speech therapist for 15 years. I’m losing a little faith that we’re going to be recognized. That’s what hurts.
Anne-Marie Miville, speech therapist in schools
Mme Fortin-Boudreault is of the same opinion. “This is our way of denouncing the situation. We are so trained, we have so much knowledge and we are underutilized, we cannot continue on this trajectory,” she says.
Since Monday, members of the Common Front have been called to vote on the agreement. More than half of them will have to vote in favor of the agreement for it to be accepted.
The story so far
September 23: The Common Front organizes a major demonstration in Montreal to denounce Quebec’s offers.
November 6: The 420,000 members of the Common Front launch a first day of strike. Other periods of strikes will take place in November and December.
December 23 and 24: Almost all unions affiliated with the Common Front reach settlement hypotheses with Quebec, following intensive negotiations.
December 28: The Common Front reaches an agreement with the government on wages.
January 15: Workers begin to vote on the agreement in principle.