Unionized CPE daycare workers are raising the stakes in stalled contract negotiations with the provincial government.
Workers at 51 childhood centres in the Montérégie, including the CPE Kaleidoscope in Hinchinbrooke, have called two more strike days on March 18 and 19 if talks with the province do not advance quickly.
The striking workers are members of unions affiliated with the Fédération de la Santé et des services sociaux (FSSS-CSN). Workers first walked off the job on January 23 and on February 6 and 17. The next two strike days will be the last of the strike mandate which allowed for five days in total.
“What is on the table is not enough to convince the next generation to join the network, and even less to ensure that the workers remain in their jobs,” said Stéphanie Vachon, a CPE representative for the FSSS-CSN. “The best way to convince the government to move is to keep up the pressure, and that is what we are doing,” she added.
On March 18, workers will take part in rallies across Quebec. The following day, the unions will consult with members on a new strike mandate that could lead to an unlimited general strike.
“It is not too late. The government can do better for the CPE network. It knows full well that what it is proposing is insufficient,” said CSN president Caroline Senneville.
The two sides are negotiating over major issues such as salaries, workload, bonuses for those working in the regions, and increased resources for special-needs children. “If the government is committed to the development of very young children, it should come to the negotiating table with mandates and drop its threat to restrict our right to strike,” added Senneville.
The province introduced Bill 89 on February 19, a proposed new law that would give the government the power to force striking workers back to work and to impose binding arbitration. The unions argue the government is also imposing rollbacks in these negotiations, at a time when staff shortages and recruitment challenges are already negatively impacting the sector. (SR)