After two days of reflection, teachers affiliated with the Autonomous Education Federation (FAE) chose to continue their indefinite general strike on Monday.
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“We had to analyze a government proposal. This strike will continue on Monday. The FAE is the most democratic organization I know,” confirmed Mélanie Hubert, president of the FAE.
After a proposal deemed “interesting”, but unsatisfactory, a counter-offer will be submitted to the government quickly. “We devote ourselves to negotiating at the tables. We are going to take a concrete step,” said M.me Hubert.
The Autonomous Education Federation has been on an indefinite general strike for a week. Negotiations will continue this weekend.
Asked whether the two parties are far from an agreement, the president of the FAE remained vague despite a certain optimism. “All is relative. Our goal is not to stretch the sauce unnecessarily. This is the downside of democracy. It takes time.”
Earlier Friday, Prime Minister François Legault asked teachers’ unions to stop striking to avoid harming children’s academic success.
Mélanie Hubert believes that this exit by the Prime Minister is deplorable. The union repeats once again that what is hurting students is public schools, which have been deteriorating for 25 years.
Schools whose teachers are affiliated with the Autonomous Education Federation will therefore normally be closed on Monday.
The FAE took stock of the state of national negotiations, following its Federative Negotiating Council which lasted two days.
The members of the FAE discussed the next steps in the negotiations with Quebec.
The options were few: continue the indefinite general strike, suspend it or even request the intervention of a conciliator.
The strike of 65,500 teachers forces the closure of 40% of Quebec schools, something unheard of in 40 years.
“We cannot hurt our children, it’s the most precious thing we have,” added François Legault on Friday.
The FAE brings together nine unions which represent more than 65,500 preschool, primary and secondary teachers.
It is present in the regions of Montreal, Capitale-Nationale, Laval, Outaouais, Laurentides, Estrie and Montérégie, where the four largest urban centers in Quebec are located.