The Autonomous Education Federation (FAE) announced Wednesday evening that it will soon submit a counter-offer to the government in order to resolve the impasse which persists in the negotiations surrounding the next collective agreements.
On Wednesday, delegates from the nine unions affiliated with the FAE met for a good part of the day to analyze the government offer made verbally Monday evening.
In a press release published in the evening, the FAE indicated that it ultimately chose to submit a counter-offer “as soon as possible” to the government, always with the objective of “reaching a satisfactory agreement before the holidays”.
The FAE, which negotiates alone, launched an indefinite strike on November 23. The walkout of its 66,000 teachers at the primary and secondary levels will continue on Thursday, she confirmed on Wednesday evening.
This intervention by the FAE came a few hours after the President of the Treasury Board, Sonia LeBel, increased the salary offer offered to all public sector employees who are currently negotiating their next employment contract.
Quebec thus increased its salary offer to 12.7% over five years, up from 10.3% which had been offered since the end of October. By adding a lump sum of $1,000 the first year and amounts reserved for “government priorities”, the government now presents its overall offer as worth 16.7%.
“The gap remains significant between this new offer and our request to obtain between 4% or the CPI per calendar year,” however noted the president of the FAE, Mélanie Hubert, in writing.
“As we are also asking for corrections to our salary scale (Canadian average, number of levels and gap between levels), we will evaluate the employer proposals in their entirety,” she underlined.
The FAE and the Federation of Education Unions (FSE), affiliated with the CSQ, which is part of the common front, received a new offer from Quebec on Monday and Tuesday.
In a video addressed to its members, broadcast on Wednesday, the president of the FSE, Josée Scalabrini, moderated expectations. “Yesterday, we had signals. We would be ready to start a negotiation. This is far, far, far from living up to your expectations and the expectations of your representatives. We will stay on the lookout. »
The FSE represents 95,000 teachers at the primary and secondary levels.
FSE member teachers are currently at work. They walked out for four days in November, at the same time as the other members of the common front. The common front, however, announced seven more days of strike from December 8 to 14.
In their sectoral negotiations with Quebec, the two union federations are discussing more particularly ways to lighten the workload of teachers, particularly with regard to the integration of students with adjustment or learning difficulties: support from specialized professionals, creation of specialized classes, classroom aids, etc.
In her short video, Ms. Scalabrini also explained to her members that Quebec’s offer is only an “exploratory submission” and that the Quebec government wants the negotiation not to take place through the media.
“If they don’t come out in the media, we won’t come out in the media,” said the president of the FSE.
She reiterated her desire to negotiate on the priorities of her members and not just those of the government.
With information from Lia Lévesque.