According to an internal survey, more than 10% of school support staff affiliated with the Federation of Public Service Employees (FEESP-CSN) use food banks.
• Also read: Demonstrations of the Common Front: “The discourse does not follow what we see at the negotiating table”
• Also read: Mr. Legault, treat us with dignity
The union’s executive committee complained at a press conference on Sunday that its members were among the lowest paid employees in the public sector.
“The results are overwhelming: school support workers experience great economic uncertainty every day and the current salary offers from the Quebec government will only make this situation worse,” denounces Annie Charland, president of the FEESP-CSN school sector.
The 7,000 of the union’s 35,000 members say 78% are living paycheck to paycheck.
The increasing use of food banks, estimated at 12%, is a major concern for the Executive, describing the data as “alarming”.
Here is additional data collected by the association:
· 19% of members surveyed have to have another job during the year (except in summer).
· 52% of surveyed members emphasize that their work does not allow them to meet several basic needs
Although he is concerned about the situation, the vice president of FEESP-CSN is not surprised by these figures and gives examples of the average salaries of his members.
“According to the latest updated data from the Ministry of Finance, the average gross annual salary of a school counselor was $24,284 in 2020-2021,” said Frédéric Brun.
TVA News
The first vice-president of the CSN, François Enault, also recalled that several public sector unions had already spoken out in favor of the strike.