Despite the announcement of an “agreement in principle” between Quebec and the Bus Carriers Federation (FTA) last Friday, some of them still refuse to sign their contracts. Two days before the start of the school year, parents are asked to find a plan B to get their children to school.
Posted at 2:22 p.m.
Updated at 2:40 p.m.
This is particularly the case for the parents of 6,700 children who attend the establishments of the Center de services scolaire de Montréal (CSSDM) and use school transportation.
Monday evening, they were informed of potential service failures when the CSSDM is still without a contract with most of its carriers, two days before the start of the school year scheduled for August 26.
“We therefore invite the parents of students registered for school transport to provide alternatives in order to convey them, in the event that this service is not provided in time for the start of the school year”, could we read on the CSSDM website.
However, the government had made the announcement in a press release on Friday of an agreement in principle which was to cover a period of six years. This was to be submitted to the members of the FTA, and the federation’s board of directors was to recommend its adoption.
“Very risky”
Except that in fact, it was not so, indicated Tuesday the president of the school transport sector of the Federation of employees and employees of public services (FEESP-CSN), Josée Dubé. It should be noted that this union represents school bus and sedan drivers, and not school bus operators who are members of the FTA, who are in fact the employers.
“It was very risky to have announced with great fanfare an agreement in principle on Friday knowing that the FTA knew very well the demands of the carriers,” said Josée Dubé.
According to the latter, the agreement reached between Quebec and the FTA, which had required the involvement of a mediator, provided for an increase in the amounts granted to school service centers and intended for school bus operators.
The carriers were demanding rate increases ranging from 20 to 25% in order to compensate for the increase in the price of diesel, among other things.
Insufficient supply
However, several school carriers would have realized that the improved offer was still not sufficient and would have refused to sign their contracts with the school service centres.
“Already, as of today, several school carriers have refused and others are still in talks […] because the issue of the monetary framework is not yet on the table. [Mais] when they are offered the framework that has been refused by others, they will also refuse it,” explains Josée Dubé.
Impossible for the moment to know how many children across Quebec will be impacted by this decision, but in addition to the CSSDM, all those who were already opposed to the government’s offers would also have refused to sign their contracts, she specifies.
According to Josée Dubé, the Minister of Education, Jean-François Roberge, would have shown “magical thinking” by announcing an agreement in principle last Friday since obviously the issue was not settled.
“Maybe possibly because we’re on the campaign trail, they needed to sweep this under the rug quickly, but it was pretentious,” she said.
” On the right track ”
But for its part, the office of the Minister of Education believes that the signing of an agreement in principle last Friday demonstrates “that we are on the right track to ensure the transportation of students”.
“Many contracts are signed and new agreements are concluded every day,” said the Minister’s press secretary, Audrey Noiseux. “Everything is done to support school service centers and help them come to an agreement with each carrier. School service centers have contingency plans to deal with any eventuality. However, negotiations are actively continuing at the local level,” she added.
The FTA did not respond to an interview request.