EMILY HSUEH
QUEBEC April 14, 2021
On April 14, teachers from French and English schools across the province took to the streets to strike, making their voices heard in their bid to improve working conditions.
The strike took place from . . .
midnight to 9:30 a.m., which caused classes to be moved online, pushed back in time, and, for students attending in-person classes, buses were delayed.
The public sector has been without a contract since March 31, 2020, and it continues to negotiate following the strike.
“We aimed to improve our working conditions: a reduction in the ‘burden’ of the task, better professional integration, reduction of precariousness and an increase in salary for all,” Guy Croteau, secretary-treasurer of the Syndicat du personnel de l’enseignement des Hautes Rivières, wrote in an email through his secretary, Nathalie Tremblay.
Croteau is on the council for both the Fédération syndicale étudiante and the Centrale des syndicats du Québec (CSQ) and is a teacher at École secondaire Sieur de Coulonge and Centre de services scolaire des Hauts Bois de l’Outaouais. He is also a member of the general negotiating council for the CSQ.
So far the union has not accepted any agreements, but members from the union, which represents 73,000 teachers, were able to view what was put on the table on April 15 and 16.
“In fact, things have moved significantly at the negotiating table. Exploratory discussions have led to several breakthroughs and we can say that we are much closer to an agreement,” wrote Croteau. “The population seems to support and understand that our demands are primarily aimed at reducing the burden of our task and improving services to students.”
While those negotiations are being addressed, another strike is set to take place, this time on April 27 from 2:45 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. The union wanted to thank those for coming out and helping the cause.
“Thank you to the people who support our efforts. The future of our students, young people and adults is at stake in this negotiation and we cannot carry the education system alone as we have been doing for more than two decades,” Croteau wrote. “Thank you to the teachers for being mobilized, it is an essential support for the negotiating committee and to advance our demands.”
