The members of the Autonomous Education Federation (FAE) of Haute-Yamaska narrowly accepted on Friday the agreement in principle reached between their union and the government of Quebec, thus tipping the scales in favor of the agreement obtained after a month of strike.
According to a press release sent at the end of the day, the approximately 2,000 members of the Haute-Yamaska Teachers’ Union (SEHY) voted 50.58% in favor of the agreement, which notably includes salary increases of 17.4% on five years.
The SEHY was the last of the nine local unions of the FAE to comment on the agreement in principle obtained on December 28 after 22 days of indefinite general strike.
Before him, four affiliated unions had spoken out in favor of the offer (the teaching union of Pointe-de-l’Île, Outaouais, west of Montreal, as well as the Alliance of Montreal teachers) while four others (teaching union of Seigneuries, Laval, Basses-Laurentides and Quebec) had rejected it since the beginning of the votes in mid-January.
The SEHY vote was therefore crucial, since at least five of the nine unions affiliated with the FAE and a majority of the vote cast had to accept the agreement in principle for it to be ratified.
The FAE convened a press briefing Monday morning in Montreal to take stock of the negotiations with the provincial government. Until then, she refuses to comment.
Controversial agreement
SEHY union members had until 4 p.m. Friday to decide. The voting period began Wednesday evening but was extended over a period of 48 hours to encourage participation.
Like the Pointe-de-l’Île and Laval Education Unions, the SEHY executive had previously recommended rejecting the agreement in a message sent to its members.
“Considering that this agreement in principle does not significantly improve our working conditions, including class composition; considering that this agreement in principle deteriorates working conditions in vocational training; the board of directors recommends rejecting the agreement in principle,” the message read.
The SEHY, which represents teachers at the Val-des-Cerfs school service center in the greater Granby region, declined interview requests from the Duty.
In addition to the salary increases, the agreement also provided that a one-time bonus of $4,000 will be paid to teachers whose class is made up of 60% students in difficulty. In secondary school, this bonus would be granted when 50% of students are in difficulty. It would reach $8,000 in the event that no assistance resources could be granted to a teacher finding themselves in such a situation.
A similar agreement, with a few differences, was obtained by the members of the Common Front, affiliated with the Fédération des syndicats de l’enseignement – CSQ. So far, it has been approved by strong majorities during local assemblies, which are scheduled to continue until February 7.
The FAE launched an indefinite general strike on November 23 to demand an improvement in their salary and working conditions. The union did not have a strike fund.
In total, the FAE represents 66,500 teachers in preschool, primary, secondary, prison education, vocational training and adult education. Its workforce represents approximately 40% of teachers in the Quebec public school network.