Draft proposal between Quebec, FSE teachers’ union; FAE demonstrates in front of Legault’s office

The Fédération des syndicats de l’enseignement (FSE), affiliated with the CSQ, drafted a proposal with the Legault government as part of negotiations for the renewal of collective agreements.

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— FSE-CSQ (@FSECSQ) December 22, 2023

This draft regulation came to fruition after negotiations which continued throughout the night, the union said. Salary and other intersectoral issues are still under discussion at the central table with the public sector inter-union Common Front, of which the FSE-CSQ is a part.

The latter rejected the latest employer offer this week, as did the Fédération Autonome de l’Enseignement (FAE), which is not part of the Common Front.

This proposed settlement with the FSE-CSQ comes as a rally is planned for Friday noon in front of the offices of Prime Minister François Legault in Montreal in support of education personnel.

To the sound of horns and trumpets, several demonstrators waved red flags.

“Once the CAQ realizes that teachers are serious about what we’re requesting, I think they’ll move,” said high school art teacher, Marion Miller, part of the FAE.

“We’ve been out in the streets 22 days, students deserve to be back in school and families are showing us today, it was organized really by families and citizens this big gathering and so they’re showing us that they want to be back in school,” she said. “Teachers really want to be back in school as well. We can’t wait to see our students again.”

While hundreds were on the street, the FSE-CSQ, which represents 95,000 teachers, presented the proposal to its union delegates.

“I am really hopeful,” says Miller. “I hope it means that the government is actually moving on those core issues like class composition and support for students. I hope that’s what the signal is and I hope that they’ll be offering us the same thing soon.”

Rosemarie Perrault’s son Henri has been out of school since November, when the 66,000 member-FAE teachers’ union went on strike. She herself works in healthcare and is part of the Common Front.

“It’s one of the first good signs we’ve had in a while, so hopefully there’s a domino effect for the other unions as well,” she said. “I really want a good public education for my son. I believe in the public system so I’m here to show my support and maybe put a little pressure on the government.”

Second grade teacher, Annie-Sara Lemieux McClure, was emotional seeing the turnout of the demonstration. “I want to cry,” she said. “It’s so nice all of the people here with us, all the parents, just everyone telling me you know we’re really tired but don’t give up.”

The organizers wish to “make it clear to the government that it must reach a negotiated agreement now with teachers and all those who work in public schools, ” it said in a statement.

“Because on January 8, the children of Quebec must return at school in a healthier education system,” the statement said.

The Common Front threatens to follow suit at the beginning of 2024 if progress is not sufficient at the negotiating tables.

Striking FAE teachers have been without pay for almost a month.

“Since April, I knew that we were going on strike so I’ve been very careful with my money for that purpose,” said English teacher, Catherine Edwards. “I do these protests, I do the marches but to get back into the classroom is going to be like going back in August, it’s like back to school after the summer off, it’s going to be difficult.”

For Lemieux McClure, a deal being reached soon would be a “Christmas miracle.”

“That would be really nice to spend my holidays knowing that I’m going to come back in January seeing my students – that would be the biggest gift.”