FAE teachers’ strike: Quebec submitted an offer on Monday, awaiting response from union

The Fédération autonome de l’enseignement (FAE) began its ninth day of strike on Tuesday, while the president of the Treasury Board reports having presented a counter-proposal on Monday evening.

Minister Sonia LeBel affirms that her offer “would make it possible to concretely improve the daily lives of students and teachers.” She did not reveal its contents.

The minister said she hoped for “positive feedback from the union quickly.”

The FAE has not responded to a request for comment.

Several points are in dispute in this negotiation between Quebec and the union organization which represents 66,000 teachers at the primary and secondary levels, including the opening of specialized classes for children in difficulty and the period for assigning teachers to classes.

Quebec wants to bring forward the assignment of teachers to classes until June in order to avoid the peak back-to-school period in August.

The FAE began its indefinite general strike on November 23, with some of its members meeting every week to assess the situation.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French and translate by CityNews on Dec. 5, 2023.