There is talk of an indefinite general strike (GGI). So this means that all schools will be closed until further notice?
Not quite. The GGI was announced by the Autonomous Federation of Education (FAE), which represents some 66,000 members, or just under half of the teachers in the province’s public schools. They are the ones who will enter GGI from November 23.
How do I know if my child’s teacher will be on strike?
The nine unions affiliated with the FAE are located in the regions of Montreal, Capitale-Nationale, Laval, Outaouais, Laurentides, Estrie and Montérégie. However, not all school service centers in these regions are under the aegis of the FAE, but for example that of Montreal, in the metropolis, is. It is possible to consult the complete list of affected establishments on the FAE website.
Between now and November 23, we can expect a normal program, then?
Other significant disruptions are expected in the days leading up to November 23. The common union front, which represents the rest of the province’s teachers and all support employees in schools, will walk out on November 21, 22 and 23. Most schools in the province will therefore be closed, but the final decision rests with the school service centers. Even if the FAE will not have started its GGI during the first two days, its establishments will be affected due to the absence of support staff. The situation is quite different in private schools, where strikes should have no impact.
With the GGI, only teachers will walk out. During this time, will we be able to count on childcare services?
It is true that support staff, who provide daycare services for example, will not technically be on strike. In doing so, the decision to maintain or not certain activities will be made by each school service center. But it seems unlikely that this is the case, believes Mélanie Hubert, president of the FAE. “The intention, when we launch a strike, is to stop activities in establishments […] otherwise we miss the objective a little,” she explains. In addition, teachers who will be on strike must organize picket lines at the entrance to schools every morning. For childcare, Mme Hubert is already inviting parents to think about a “plan B” and employers to show flexibility.
How do I know what my child’s center will decide?
The FAE recommends that parents keep up to date with the information relayed by school service centers. As for the largest center in the province – that of Montreal – the director general, Isabelle Gélinas, announced Tuesday that “all schools, including daycare services, will be closed from November 21, for an indefinite period” . The school service centers of Pointe-de-l’Île, Marguerite-Bourgeoys and Laval have also made announcements to this effect.
How could the strike end?
This will require FAE teachers to be offered a “bouquet of measures”, explains its president, Mélanie Hubert. “Our members want to see significant progress in all of their demands”, whether they relate to salaries or to class composition. The FAE, for example, wants the salaries of its members to reach the Canadian average. It also requires greater flexibility regarding the work that must be carried out outside teaching hours – that it can be done remotely, in particular.
And is it likely to last?
Hard to say, but teachers “are determined to make important changes for public schools and to improve the services provided,” says M.me Hubert. She sees this union struggle as a major movement which will kick off with great fanfare with a “grand march” on November 23. “The last big strike [illimitée] in education, among teachers, dates back to the 1980s.” As the FAE does not have a strike fund, its members will not be financially compensated. “That also says a lot about the state of mind of the teachers, who are angry and exhausted,” asserts Mme Hubert.
With the collaboration of Marie-Eve Morasse, The Press