The 12,000 Common Front union members in Bas-Saint-Laurent began their last day of strike on Thursday. But if nothing changes at the negotiating tables, there could soon be picket lines again, warns the union alliance.
In La Pocatière, the Joint Front's third strike sequence ended with a march through the streets of the city attended by about 200 people. Teachers and support staff from Cégep and secondary schools in La Pocatière took part.
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Nearly 200 teachers and support staff from western Bas-Saint-Laurent marched through the streets of La Pocatière to end the week-long strike.
Photo: Radio-Canada
Morale is very good despite the weather conditions, says Alexandre Tardif from the Cégep de La Pocatière teachers' union. It's not always easy, but I think today's march showed that all unions in the region stand together. There is also the FIQ that has worked with us, so it is very positive.
Have we reached the end? The future will show us, he adds. It happens at the negotiating table. For many union members, this march is the last chance before an indefinite general strike begins after the holidays if nothing changes at the negotiating tables. This path was taken three weeks ago by the Autonomous Education Association (FAE) and caused headaches for thousands of parents in the province.
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Human chains were organized on Tuesday in Rivière-du-Loup, Amqui, Matane, Mont-Joli and Rimouski, where hundreds of school network union members met on the seafront.
Photo: Radio-Canada / Sébastien Ross
The Joint Union Front will take stock of the continuation of the mobilization on Tuesday.
If the strike continued, would public support remain on our side or would we lose it? asks Jeannick Drapeau, educational consultant at the Kamouraska-Rivière-du-Loup School Service Center. At the moment it is Mr. Legault who is playing the bad role because it is his team that is faltering.
We miss our students
Further east, a popular dinner was held at the Cégep de Rimouski car park to help workers who had not received wages for seven days. Wrapped up and holding flags, hundreds of them ate under the makeshift tents.
Thanks to a popular dinner, dozens of union members were able to take a break from the picket lines.
Photo: Radio-Canada / Marie-Christine Rioux
Despite the smaller paychecks, the morale of the troops on the streets remains good, assures Junior Louis, vice president of the Cégep de Rimouski's auxiliary staff union.
I see people struggling after a strike and going to food banks to look for food. These are the people we defend. They should have the minimum cost of living to survive and exist, argues Mr. Louis. Some of his colleagues in the support team earn $40,000 a year, the trade unionist remembers.
Common Front union members will return to work on Friday. It will therefore be a return to class for thousands of Lower Laurentian students who have been out of school for almost a week.
“We miss our students, that's certainly why we do what we do,” assures Jonathan Proulx, vice president of the Phares School Support Union. However, it is not true that we are not ready to move on. On the contrary: we will not give up. If necessary, we will go all the way.
In collaboration with Marie-Christine Rioux and Fabienne Tercaefs