Thousands of striking teachers affiliated with the Autonomous Education Federation (FAE) demonstrated in the streets of Montreal on Tuesday. If the strike hurts the wallets of strikers without pay, many of them do not want to obtain an agreement at any price to return to class.
“We feel that the negotiations are progressing, that things are moving forward a little,” says Catherine Sayade, primary school teacher. We can’t wait for this to be resolved, we can’t wait to find our students and return to class, but we are not going to do it under any conditions.”
The 65,500 FAE teachers have been on strike since November 23 and, without strike funds, many are struggling financially. “We have come far enough in our approach that I think no one wants to return to class at a discount,” believes Claudia, a 6 year old teacher.e year. We can’t wait to see our little wolvesbut not at any cost because we have made a lot of sacrifices until today.”
Like all the teachers with whom The duty discussed at the demonstration, more than the question of salaries, it is rather the progress on the composition of the class which will count the most when the time comes to accept or not an agreement in principle.
“We have increasingly difficult conditions,” emphasizes Claudia, who is not at all convinced that the solution lies in adding classroom aids, which are not specialized, to help teachers to manage students with learning disabilities or adjustment difficulties. “We really want to be able to provide a real service to our students, without having the feeling of sacrificing one to the detriment of the other,” adds Catherine Sayade.
If the discussions at the negotiating table were more productive on Monday, the FAE nevertheless tempers hopes of a near settlement. “We will judge the tree by its fruits, and what we can say at present is that the fruits are not yet ripe,” emphasized in an interview with The duty the vice-president of the Autonomous Education Federation, Patrick Bydal.
“Even though we have been in negotiations for eleven months, and there have been 70 meetings, the government still turned a deaf ear to our requests,” he continued. Yesterday, finally, the government started talking about our demands.”
The president of the Treasury Board, Sonia LeBel, affirmed Monday afternoon that negotiations with the FAE were entering a “crucial phase” allowing “to glimpse an agreement that could benefit students and teachers.” “We now have on the table the essential elements to get along,” she declared.
Catherine Sayade has little hope of seeing a rapid settlement. “No,” she simply answers when asked. “I don’t take anything for granted.”