The mutual aid effort to support striking teachers raised $28,000 to $30,000 in donations in just a few hours. The enthusiasm is so great that the organizers are thinking about repeating the campaign in the days before Christmas.
• Also read: “A Bit of Gentleness”: Collections for Striking Teachers
The “partial” summary of the campaign shows that $26,600 was raised exclusively through gift cards, as we can read in the initiative’s Facebook group. These donations helped at least 578 families.
“But it is clear that we are going beyond that,” says the group’s co-founder, Geneviève Groleau, who is also a primary school teacher and is affiliated with the Autonomous Education Federation (FAE) in the Outaouais region. “If we count the cars filled with food, we should easily reach $28,000 to $29,000 in donations.”
Food, gift cards and toys for children were distributed to teachers who have been striking without pay for two weeks. SCREENSHOT / VAT NEWS / QMI AGENCY
Ms. Groleau reported the “special” and “very emotional” atmosphere at donation centers across the province.
“[Certains enseignants] had difficulty entering the distribution stations. “It was very uncomfortable for her,” she says. “It clearly shows the insecurity of the teachers. It’s still only two weeks without pay!”
The teacher wanted to highlight the organization “in just four days” of the initiative, in particular by the coordinators Jean-François Proulx and Marie-Josée Lavoie.
There were also a lot of requests for help in the initiative's Facebook group, including from pregnant teachers on unpaid leave or from young teacher couples who can no longer make ends meet.
Another wave of donations before Christmas
However, the solidarity was so great that the organizers considered repeating the action a few days before Christmas.
According to Ms. Groleau, this outpouring of generosity is marked by “fears for the network.” [de l’éducation] generally.”
“A father came with his daughter, who is studying for a bachelor's degree in teaching, to bring donations and he didn't want her to despair during her studies,” explains the teacher.
Meanwhile, negotiations between the FAE and the Quebec government continue. A counteroffer from teachers could soon be submitted.
For its part, the Common Front is continuing its week of strikes and has raised the possibility of an unlimited general strike on Sunday morning.