Thousands of workers in childcare centers affiliated with the CSQ adopted 91.2% on Wednesday an indefinite general strike mandate to be used when deemed appropriate.
“Since the start of these negotiations, the government has tried to bypass the unions in a sometimes very dubious way,” said Valérie Grenon, president of the Federation of Early Childhood Workers of Quebec (FIPEQ-CSQ). Today, it is a call to reality launched by our members to Ms. LeBel. ”
Speaking directly to parents, Mr.me Grenon said she understood the result of the 3,200 workers’ vote was “worrying”.
“Nobody wants to start it, this unlimited general strike. If we do it, it means that we will not have a choice, ”she said, before adding that the negotiations are continuing on Thursday, and that she would inform the parents several days before triggering a strike.
The President of the Treasury Board, Sonia LeBel, reacted by noting that negotiation meetings were still on the menu.
“We still have some [jeudi] meetings that have been scheduled since day one. These are not meetings that have been destroyed because of the mandate of an indefinite general strike. So the negotiations are not broken. ”
Mme LeBel, however, described the negotiations with the unions as “very difficult”.
“The issue has been clear from the start, it is that we will not be able to offer the same increase capacity for all sectors of the childcare center,” she said.
On the side of the CPEs affiliated to the CSN, the 11,000 workers will hold a similar vote on Thursday on an indefinite general strike mandate to be used when deemed appropriate.
At the same time, thousands of childcare workers gathered in front of the National Assembly and in Montreal on Wednesday to demand better working conditions.
Caroline Senneville, president of the CSN, accused the government of offering “peccadilloes” to childcare support workers.
“We are told the satchel is empty. It’s an old trick. It’s funny, for the polluting third link tunnel, which will not provide any service to Quebecers, there are billions, ”she said.
PHOTO MARTIN TREMBLAY, THE PRESS
Thousands of childcare workers demonstrated in Montreal on Wednesday to demand better working conditions.
In Montreal, the members of the CPE unions affiliated with the CSN and the Federation of Health and Social Services (FSSS-CSN) gathered at Parc des Faubourgs, near the entrance to the Jacques Cartier Bridge.
“It’s been 15 years that I haven’t had a salary increase, 15 years! », Lamented Mitsou Gauthier, cook in a childcare center in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu who was demonstrating in Montreal on Wednesday.
Mme Gauthier noted that his workload was much higher today than when he started. “I have to feed 140 children in 35 hours a week. I love my job, but we are not given due recognition. There is a shortage of cooks in Quebec, and this is also a situation that affects childcare centers. ”
PHOTO MARTIN TREMBLAY, THE PRESS
Her colleague Geneviève Tétreault, an educational support consultant, agreed. “We want to have the means to do our job well. I would also like to point out that we are not taking children hostage: it is the minister who takes children hostage. ”
In the negotiations, Quebec chose to give priority to educators because they are underpaid – by its own admission – and there is a shortage of educators. It therefore offers them larger salary increases.
The main sticking point is the salary offered by Quebec to “other” workers than educators in early childhood centers. These are employees in the kitchen, administration and maintenance.
PHOTO MARTIN TREMBLAY, THE PRESS
With The Canadian Press