(Montreal) The president of the Autonomous Federation of Education (FAE), Mélanie Hubert, addressed her members in a video on Facebook Friday evening, around 9 p.m., to inform them that work continues in the hope of reaching an agreement with the government for the renewal of collective agreements.
“Don’t worry, the negotiations continue over the weekend. It is the priority of the FAE to reach a satisfactory agreement,” declared Mr.me Hubert on the sidelines of a meeting between the executive committee and the FAE negotiating committee.
PHOTO PATRICK SANSFAÇON, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
The president of the FAE, Mélanie Hubert
The 66,000 primary and secondary teachers who are members of the FAE have been on an indefinite general strike since November 23, without being able to count on strike funds.
In the last few days, there has been a lot of confusion about the status of the situation. Prime Minister François Legault said he was confident on Wednesday that children will be able to return to school on Monday, which was described as unrealistic by the president of the FAE.
Mélanie Hubert reiterated in her message on Friday evening that “things are not progressing at the desired pace”, recalling however that there have been negotiation meetings throughout the week and that this work will continue.
“We will be available all weekend to move things forward and the management side has also assured us of its availability for the next two days. What remains to be done is to advance the work each on our side and to arrange meetings to talk again,” she clarified.
“In the meantime, have a nice weekend. We will let the negotiation take its course. Try to rest and we’ll see you on the picket lines on Monday,” adds Mme Hubert.
Elsewhere in the public sector
The inter-union common front will also take stock next week on the negotiations with the Quebec government and on what happens next for its members, or even if it will exercise its mandate of an unlimited general strike.
The 420,000 workers in the education and health networks represented by the common front, made up of the CSN, the CSQ, the FTQ and the APTS, concluded their third sequence of strikes on Thursday.
No return to the FIQ counter-proposal
For its part, the Interprofessional Health Federation (FIQ), which represents 80,000 nurses, practical nurses and other healthcare professionals, was hoping for a response from the government on Thursday to a proposal it had submitted the day before on working conditions.
The FIQ will also provide an update on the negotiations next week, after three sequences of strikes by its members.
Both Prime Minister François Legault and President of the Treasury Board Sonia LeBel described the negotiations with the FIQ as very difficult.
Prime Minister Legault even let it slip that we should not expect an outcome before Christmas. “I think it’s going to be more like January,” he said earlier this week.