Members of the Autonomous Education Federation (FAE) gathered outside Prime Minister François Legault’s offices in Montreal on Monday morning in a last-ditch effort before formally submitting their indefinite strike declaration later in the day.
• Also read: Teachers in Montreal, Quebec and Gatineau are on indefinite general strike starting November 23rd
“Time is running out, there is an urgent need for action in the education sector,” complained Mélanie Hubert, President of the FAE, in an interview with TVA Nouvelles on Monday.
This is a last attempt before the indefinite general strike begins on November 23rd, as the termination must take place at least “seven full working days before the set date,” the association said in a press release.
“We remain confident, our negotiating committee is available seven days a week,” the president continued. 65,000 teachers will take to the streets next week to express their anger, but also their determination to make education better in Quebec.”
According to the association, teachers in Quebec earn a salary below the Canadian average and it would take 13 years for them to reach the maximum on the pay scale, compared to 10 years in other Canadian provinces.
“We are here in front of Prime Minister Legault’s offices to remind him of his election promise: education should be a priority,” emphasized Ms. Hubert.
I saw some meetings last week prove unsuccessful.
“The negotiations are not progressing. We are dealing with an employer who clearly does not want to operate like a 21st century employer. We find ourselves in an idea of control in a context of scarcity. Those who stay put are asked to do more with less. We do not follow the logic of upgrading to keep them in the workplace,” lamented the FAE president.
“There are still 10 days left to conclude an agreement,” said the FAE president.
In her opinion, it is unlikely that the parties will be able to reach an agreement by November 23rd “as negotiations continue to be difficult”.
“An agreement remains possible, but time is short,” she said.
“We’ve talked a lot in the last few days about salaries, but we’re also talking about working conditions in the classroom, we’re talking about the services that are provided to students.”
Minister Sonia Lebel’s office reiterates that solutions are on the table, notably the addition of teaching assistants in 15,000 primary school classes, the establishment of pilot projects in secondary schools to reduce workloads and improve the quality of educational services, and the creation of several thousand permanent full-time positions for teachers at the start of their careers.