Daycare strike Monday in 400 CPEs across Quebec
Posted February 14, 2025 8:39 am.
Last Updated February 17, 2025 11:46 am.
As its members hold their third day of strike action on Monday in some 400 CPEs, the Fédération de la santé et des services sociaux warns that it will soon consult its members to adopt a new strike mandate.
This Monday, the day after a winter storm, is the third day of strike action by these workers in some childcare centres, who are members of unions attached to the FSSS, affiliated with the CSN.
Their strike mandate is a five-day one, to be exercised at the appropriate time. And although there are still two days left in this strike mandate, the federation announces that it will consult its members “in the coming days” to adopt a new strike mandate, which could provide for “longer strike sequences.”
The Fédération de la santé et des services sociaux, affiliated with the CSN, represents the approximately 13,000 unionized workers concerned in the CPEs.
These union members previously walked off the job Jan. 23 and Feb. 6.
Negotiations are ongoing with the Quebec government to come to an agreement on a new contract.
The main point of contention is salary, as well as the burden of tasks, bonuses for working in the regions and support for children with special needs.
Quebec has already reached agreements in principle with other unionized CPEs who are represented by the Fédération des intervenantes en petite enfance, affiliated with the CSQ, as well as with the Syndicat québécois des employé(e)s de service (SQEES) and the Syndicat des métallos, both affiliated with the FTQ. Two of these three agreements have even been ratified by their members.
The agreement reached with the FIPEQ provides for the same increases as those in the public sector, i.e. 17.4 per cent over five years, and even more for certain job titles and salary levels. For example, the first salary step for a qualified educator will increase from $21.60 to $25.15 per hour. The aim is to attract more candidates to the profession.
The FSSS says it has not yet been presented with the same offer as the FIPEQ.
The Treasury Board had indicated, that “the 17.4 per cent increase granted to the common front was based on compensation in terms of flexibility in the organization of work that have a real impact on services.”
–With files from The Canadian Press
