Tens of thousands of public school teachers and support staff began a strike that lasted at least three days Tuesday morning. The majority of those who took to the streets to demand better wage conditions received no salary during these days of strike.
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The 100,000 teachers and all support staff of Common Front member schools picketed outside schools on Tuesday morning to demonstrate their dissatisfaction with the Legault government’s offers.
The Common Front is the result of the alliance of several trade union organizations in the context of negotiations in the public sector.
In schools, it represents 60% of teachers, in addition to support staff and specialists. In CEGEPs, 85% of teachers are affiliated with the CSN.
All public schools and CEGEPs in the province will remain closed for at least three days, November 21, 22 and 23.
Starting November 23, the Autonomous Federation of Education (FAE), which brings together 66,000 teachers in Montreal, Quebec, Outaouais, the Laurentians, Estrie and Montérégie, will begin an indefinite general strike. It represents 40% of teachers in the province.
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Who gets paid?
In order for union members to receive financial support in the event of a labor dispute, they must have a strike fund funded by a percentage of the dues paid by each member.
However, not all unions decide to set up such a fund. On the other hand.
In fact, all public school teachers in the province will have no income during the strike days.
Neither the teachers (60%) are members of the Common Front through the Federation of Education Unions (FSE-CSQ) and the Provincial Association of Teachers of Quebec (APEQ-QPAT), nor those affiliated to the Autonomous Federation of Education (FAE) ( 40%) have no strike fund.
However, union members affiliated with the CSN receive financial compensation.
“A tax-free strike fund of $315 per week will be paid to cover the needs of the strikers, especially CEGEP teachers and support staff in member schools,” explains the first vice president of the CSN and responsible for public negotiations Sector, François Enault.
“However, to gain access you must have completed five days of six-hour picketing,” he specifies.
Photo agency QMI, JOEL LEMAY
Benefits per strike day
The National Federation of Teachers of Quebec (FNEEQ-CSN) is made up of 45 unions, i.e. 85% of teachers, as well as almost all the support and professional staff of the public CEGEPs.
The majority of school support staff in Quebec, such as daycare teachers and special education teachers, are represented by the Federation of Public Service Employees (FEESP-CSN). It brings together 37 unions and more than 35,000 employees.
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Some of these CSN-affiliated unions have also voted for financial benefits ranging from $25 to $100 per strike day.
Originally posted 2023-11-25 03:12:30.