(Montreal) CEGEPs will in turn be affected by strike days following negotiations between various unions and the government.
Published at 9:15 am.
This time it is about the members of the universities represented by the Union of Professionals of the Government of Quebec (SPGQ), who will go on strike on November 23rd and 24th unless an agreement is reached by then.
They follow in the footsteps of the 65,000 primary and secondary school teachers, members of the Autonomous Education Federation (FAE), who in turn will launch an indefinite general strike from November 23rd.
“The offers of 10.3% that we have received from the government are not only inadequate, they are insulting,” said SPGQ president Guillaume Bouvrette on Saturday morning.
According to the union, staff retention is also at the heart of the dispute.
“There is a migration towards universities where the conditions are more attractive. This applies to researchers, but also to educational consultants and librarians,” emphasizes Mr. Bouvrette.
He adds that “for certain professional groups, such as psychologists and counselors, it is more attractive to go to private practice.”
Negotiations are difficult in the education sector, while union members who are part of the common front – comprising CSN, CSQ, APTS and FTQ – also held a first day of strike on November 6th. This united front represents 420,000 workers in the public sector, particularly in education.