School transportation could well be affected in several regions of Quebec in view of the start of the school year, negotiations between several carriers and school service centers still remaining at a standstill. If no solution is identified, up to 300,000 students could be penalized.
Posted at 10:09 a.m.
“There could be breaks in school transport service as soon as the start of the school year begins. Other alternatives should then be provided for dropping off and picking up your children at school, for an indefinite period. We are working with all the authorities included in the negotiations to ensure school transportation for all, in time for the start of the school year, ”wrote the Center de services scolaire des Grandes-Seigneuries, located in Montérégie, in a letter sent to parents last Wednesday. .
In the north of Montreal, the Center de services scolaire de Laval also indicates that “this situation could have repercussions for the start of the school year”, saying however that it is “on the job to find solutions”.
According to our information, the situation would be “particularly critical” in Montreal, Lanaudière, the Laurentians, Montérégie and Outaouais, the negotiations not seeming to progress in several establishments, most of the employment contracts having expired at the end of the month of June. However, other regions have already identified potential solutions.
“Raise the budgets”, asks the FTA
For the CEO of the Federation of Bus Carriers (FTA), Luc Lafrance, an agreement with the government and its authorities is still possible, provided that listening is there. “We are trying to find ways through. What we are asking the government to do is increase the budget to be able to continue our activities,” he said.
His group is indeed calling for price increases ranging from 20 to 25%, in order to compensate for the new inflationary realities. Year after year, school transporters move about 500,000 students, morning and evening. The FTA estimates that “at least” 60% of these young people could be “penalized” if the negotiations do not succeed, which represents approximately 300,000 students.
“School transporters are no different from other sectors of activity: we are dealing with an increase of more than 50% in the price of fuel, we are short of manpower, and our budget items have exploded over time. of the past five years. If we want to hire new drivers, and keep those who are in place, things have to change, ”says Mr. Lafrance, who estimates that there is a shortage of school drivers at around 1,500. They earn an average of $20,000 annually.
Quebec wants to be reassuring
In the office of the Minister of Education, Jean-François Roberge, we want to be reassuring: “We will do everything to provide school transport for all students at the start of the school year,” says the minister’s press attaché, Audrey Noiseux.
“Many actions have been taken, in particular by investing an annual amount of 30 million for bonuses aimed at attracting and retaining bus and sedan drivers”, also justifies Mr.me Noiseux, specifying that “the additional financial measures granted by the government represent a 30.5% increase in school transport allocations, i.e. more than 200 million since 2017”
Finally, the government emphasizes that “discussions are continuing with school carriers”, and that “financial measures have been added to take into account each of the issues related to the negotiation”. “We are confident of reaching an agreement,” insists the press officer.
In a press release published Thursday, the Federation of School Service Centers (FCSSQ) notes that the financial assistance program for bus drivers “amounts to more than 35 million in 2022-2023”. “As for transition aid for electrification, the amount is more than 7.7 million. Finally, to take into account the increase in operating costs, and specifically that of fuel, a measure making it possible to isolate fuel from other expenses was granted […]and this, at least for the next three years”, it is argued.
The Federation affirms in passing that “the indexation associated with fuel amounts to more than 38.5%, while that related to other expenses is established according to the CPI-Quebec”, which was 5.8% as of May 31.
“We consider that the latest government proposals, which were improved last June, are interesting and that all the conditions are now met in order to succeed in concluding negotiated agreements,” insisted the CEO of the FCSSQ, Caroline Dupré.