The indefinite general strike for the approximately 65,500 teachers represented by the Autonomous Education Federation (FAE) continues.
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While 40% of Quebec schools are closed indefinitely, parents affected by the FAE teachers’ strike are being urged to plan a Plan B for all of next week, the president says.
“If the past is any indication of the future, parents need to prepare for another week of strikes,” she believes. “It is urgent that we arrange meetings and have as much time at the government table as possible.”
Solidarity with teachers
Some parents have had to take time off to stay home with their children or pursue other activities, while others are eager to find solutions for next week as the FAE-Quebec standoff worsens.
Despite this headache caused by the teachers’ strike, parents have not failed to support the school staff in their strike movement that has paralyzed the school network since Tuesday.
“Parents are worried about their children’s academic progress, but we feel like they have our back,” says Ms. Hubert. “On the other hand, parents will also be looking to the government to see how the negotiations are progressing.”
A future agreement?
Although negotiations are “not progressing at the pace desired by the unions”, Ms Hubert remains confident that an agreement can be reached, but reiterates that teachers will hold out “as long as necessary” to achieve better working conditions.
“The teachers cannot imagine that we will have to hold out for another 5 years under the current conditions,” she said. “We will hold out the siege until Christmas.
She also claims that “nothing is impossible” in such a negotiating context, but does not rule out the strike continuing.
“We see no prospect of an agreement in the short term,” admits Ms. Hubert. “We have been seeing setbacks in collective agreements for 15 or 20 years, so the government will have to make proposals that concretely improve the conditions of teachers.”