In Quebec, over 13,000 daycare workers are striking Thursday, pushing for better wages and support for children with special needs
Quebec: So, here’s the scoop. More than 13,000 daycare workers across 400 early childhood centers in Quebec are gearing up for a one-day strike this Thursday. It’s a big deal!
These workers are part of the Fédération de la Santé et des Services Sociaux (FSSS), which is linked to the CSN. This strike marks their first action in a five-day mandate they agreed on last year.
As of Wednesday, negotiations between Quebec and the FSSS are still ongoing. But it looks like the strike is definitely happening unless they can strike a deal today.
Lucie Longchamp, the FSSS vice president, mentioned that things would need to move fast for an agreement to happen. But hey, you never know—fingers crossed!
The main issues on the table? Wages, workload, bonuses for regional disparities, and support for kids with special needs. Longchamp raised some good questions about why negotiations aren’t speeding up and why the offers aren’t appealing.
Interestingly, Quebec has already made some headway with another union representing daycare workers, which has ratified an agreement. But they’re still facing a worker shortage in daycare services.
Quebec is trying to create more spots to meet demand, but they need to be flexible with how they organize work. They’ve expressed frustration about parents having to deal with strike days, but they say the choice to strike is up to the workers.
The next bargaining session with the FSSS is set for January 28. Longchamp also hinted that there are four more strike days planned, but they’ll announce those as needed. The goal isn’t to use them, but they’re ready if they have to.
–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews
