Strikers who do not have jobs other than teachers or nurses are in the shadow of this labor dispute.
We talk a lot about teachers, but when it comes to academic support, we are very little known. We forget that in a primary school without childcare the children cannot eat [à l’école]says Éric Châteauvert, teacher at the daycare center.
Yes, we sometimes feel a little forgotten, but we do not neglect the role of teachers.
The educator, who has been doing this job since 2008, would like more of his daycare colleagues to get jobs with 35 hours per week.
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Protesters in front of a school in Quebec.
Photo: Radio-Canada
Some might say our average salary is 40,000 or 50,000 [$ par année]but in daycare our average is under 30,000 [$ par année], because we have many educators who have positions with 15, 18 or 20 hours per week. What we want is much more [travailleurs à] Full time to provide our employees with a quality of life.
Louise Bouchard is a practical work technician. She also feels forgotten in this work conflict. We are essential in the structure of education but are not highlighted.
The forgotten ones in health
“We're not talking about respiratory therapists,” says Karine Laroche, a communications consultant at Quebec University Hospital. Ms. Laroche prepares messages to be sent to all employees and communications for special projects.
In the Common Front there are us as communications consultants, there are administrative officials, administrative technicians, people in the archives, [les travailleurs] in the kitchens. We don't know anything about all the staff and if we're not there in the morning the hospital will be in trouble.
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Steve Desmeules regrets the disparity in salaries for plumbers compared to other large employers in the region.
Photo: Radio-Canada
“We're forgotten, that's for sure,” adds Steve Desmeules, a plumber at the University Hospital of Quebec.
“Every negotiation since I was here in 2008, we haven't really talked about the rest of us, but this time we're being heard,” he said, emphasizing the CSN vice president's listening.
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CSN vice-president François Énault met with the strikers near the Hôtel Dieu de Québec on Wednesday afternoon.
Photo: Radio-Canada
He underlines the support of the vice-president of the CSN, François Énault, who met the demonstrators near the Hôtel-Dieu de Québec on Wednesday afternoon.
The Prime Minister often talks about nurses, teachers and very useful people in the network, but in addition we are talking about 300 other types of jobs.
“Every time I have the opportunity to talk about it, I talk about it,” adds Mr. Énault.
In collaboration with Pierre-Alexandre Bolduc