Teachers on strike and without income for 18 days will at least be able to count on pay for the holiday holidays, in the event of a continuation of the conflict with the employer party.
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Members of the Autonomous Education Federation (FAE) will begin their fifth week of walkout without strike funds this Thursday.
And a settlement still seems very uncertain: even if discussions are progressing, the parties have still not entered into a blitz of negotiations that could lead to a final agreement.
Good news for teachers, however, the holiday season will come with their first paycheck in over a month.
Both the FAE and the Fédération des centers de services scolaire du Québec (FCSSQ) and certain employers contacted explain that this is a payment intended to spread the salaries of teachers over the entire year.
Amount reduced
However, the days spent on the picket lines will reduce the amount paid. “We confirm that all strike days have been or will be subject to salary cuts in accordance with the applicable rules,” writes a FCSSQ research agent, Sébastien Lecompte-Ducharme.
At the Marguerite-Bourgeoys School Service Center, for example, it is explained that the period covered will go from December 25 to January 5 and represents 3.85% of a teacher’s salary.
“It is important to understand that, for teaching staff, these are not non-working public days, but rather an amount deducted from their salary and set aside by the employer, to allow the payment of this pays during the holiday season,” explains communications manager Mélanie Simard.
According to the regions
“We are paid by the working day. So obviously, from December 23, on Saturday, teachers will not be able to have days cut because they are not at work,” summarized the president of the FAE, Mélanie Hubert, last week.
However, she recalled that the modalities vary depending on the school service centers.
“We invited all members to perhaps consult information that the service center would have given them, that is where they will have the best information,” she added. And to contact their local union, that’s where we will be better able to answer payroll questions during the Christmas holidays.”