Sigh of relief for thousands of parents: the CSN, the CSQ and the FTQ announced on Wednesday that they had reached agreements in principle with Quebec, a first step towards putting an end to the labor dispute in childcare centers.
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These agreements, the details of which remain confidential for the moment, must first be presented by the central unions to their members.
In the case of the FSSS-CSN, it will be put to the vote of its 11,000 members in the coming days. If the latter vote in favor, the strike launched by these early childhood educators could be suspended as of next Monday.
“We feel that we have done everything we can to advance the priorities of the workers at the bargaining table, but at the end of the day, the decision is theirs,” said plant president Stéphanie Vachon. .
For the moment, the FSSS-CSN refuses to say whether it will encourage its members to support the agreement. “The negotiating committee will present the agreement to the affiliated unions. The unions will decide if they recommend it to their members, ”said its spokesperson, Guillaume Francoeur.
“I am very happy to have succeeded in concluding an agreement that I consider historic and which fully respected the principles that we had put on the table,” said the President of the Conseil du trésor, Sonia. LeBel.
In the case of the SQEES-FTQ, the central labor union is suspending the application of its strike mandate which was to begin on Thursday, the time to consult its some 1,000 members.
There is still the threat of another strike which could be called as early as Thursday by the CSQ and its 130 affiliated CPEs. On this subject, Sonia LeBel is confident that she will be able to come to an agreement quickly.
“We are not so far, the parameters are good, so we will continue to work”, she said, affirming “to put all the necessary efforts to prevent this strike.”
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Even if the President of the Conseil du trésor has already said she is opposed to differentiated offers according to the unions, certain parameters, in addition to the salary offers, could vary from one to another.
“There are places where we are able to have more specific arrangements when we are close to the field. That being said, we will not create two or three classes of CPE educators or employees in Quebec. So in the big issues, naturally, the sandbox is drawn, ”she explained.
One of the last sticking points between the government and the unions concerned the increases granted to support staff in childcare centers, including cooks and maintenance workers.
Remember that Quebec improved its salary offer for qualified educators at the maximum level at the end of October. The government was now offering $ 29.22 an hour, while the previous offer was $ 28.31, compared to $ 25.18 currently.
Until recently, the CSN demanded the same increases for these workers as those granted to educators, in the order of 17 to 20%. On Monday, however, the power plant presented a counter-offer to Quebec.