The Autonomous Federation of Education (FAE) anticipates continuing its indefinite general strike for the rest of the week, as weekend negotiations failed to make significant progress. According to the office of the President of the Treasury Board, Sonia LeBel, the teachers’ union “did not include anything in its counter-offer regarding flexibility.” An assertion denied by the president of the FAE, Mélanie Hubert, who invites the population “not to be deceived”.
“It is deplorable that at the moment, they are in the public arena saying that we lack flexibility on certain elements, because our counter-offer actually contained proposals that were in line with the 5 priorities [du gouvernement] which had been mentioned on October 11,” said Mélanie Hubert, on the sidelines of a “feminist demonstration” organized by the FAE in Montreal as part of the 12 days of action against violence against women.
The FAE presented a counter-offer to the government on Saturday morning. The union and management parties discussed it on Saturday and Sunday, said Mélanie Hubert. Another meeting is scheduled for Monday afternoon.
“But it sure wasn’t the dream weekend we had imagined,” she said. We will have to continue to work. »
Asked whether the strike would continue for the rest of the week, the president of the FAE replied: “To hear the statement that was made this morning [par le cabinet de Mme LeBel], we can imagine that it will indeed be difficult to reach an agreement soon. »
She nevertheless believes that an agreement remains possible by Christmas. “It is not only possible, it is necessary,” said Mélanie Hubert. There are half a million children who have not been in school for eight days. We have 66,500 teachers who are leading a fight right now for things to change. It does no one any favors to prolong the conflict. »
Lack of flexibility, says Quebec
The office of the President of the Treasury Board, Sonia LeBel, indicated Monday morning that “the continuation of the strike is a decision that belongs to the FAE.” He deplored that the union “remains on its positions” and has “put nothing in its counter-offer regarding flexibility”. “However, important openings have been made on several priority issues for the union, such as professional autonomy and the composition of the class,” said the firm. The government is ready to go further in exchange for openness on the organization of work. »
The government particularly wants to carry out the teacher assignment process in June, in order to avoid too many positions remaining to be filled on the eve of the start of the school year. On August 23, the Minister of Education, Bernard Drainville, estimated that more than 8,000 teachers were missing. This figure had dropped in the weeks that followed.
Mélanie Hubert believes that Quebec is on the wrong track by wanting to change the teacher assignment system. She maintains that the government proposal will allow school principals “to do what they want with positions, to the detriment of our precarious people who are on the priority lists and who will have less choice in the tasks that will be offered to them “. “They also ask that the world be removed from priority lists if they refuse contracts that are not to their liking,” she maintains. So we are telling precarious workers “no matter what position we offer you, you will have to take it, otherwise your employment relationship with the service center will be called into question”. »
She insists that the assignment process is a matter of “local agreements which are historically negotiated between each school service center and local unions”. According to her, the negotiating table is not the right place to revise these ways of doing things.
Remember that the FAE has 66,500 members, who teach in various regions: Montreal, Laval, Montérégie, Basses-Laurentides, Estrie, Outaouais and Quebec. The union called an indefinite general strike on November 23.
However, students whose teachers are affiliated with the FAE have been on forced leave since November 21. The Common Front, which notably represents school support employees (daycare educators, secretaries, etc.), walked off the job from November 21 to 23, which forced the closure of schools. Another sequence of strike days is planned by the Common Front from December 8 to 14.