4 May 2021
FPSS-CSQ support staff on strike
On this first day of strike action by its 33,000 members, the Fédération du personnel de soutien scolaire (FPSS-CSQ) is warning the government that this is only the beginning. If the latter does not reach a settlement with school support staff soon, there may be more strike days.
“Last January we were given a five-day strike mandate from our members. We didn’t want it to come to this. It’s a last resort because it’s seems like the only way our boss, the government, will listen to us. But our members have been very angry since François Legault’s press conference on Sunday, because neither he nor Sonia Lebel made any mention of school support staff,” says FPSS-CSQ President Éric Pronovost. “The announcement of our day of strike clearly demonstrated that we are essential to the education system. Imagine: the school service centers and school boards preferred to close the schools rather than provide services without us, which was an option given the absence of picket lines. This is the best possible proof of our importance. But despite that, we still get no recognition from the government. As far as they are concerned, it’s like we don’t even exist,” he adds.
FPSS-CSQ negotiators have been trying to resolve the impasse at the negotiating tables in several ways for the last year and a half, even going so far as to propose a negotiating blitz with the government, a process normally initiated by the employers.
“We have demonstrated exemplary good faith since the start of negotiations. We innovated new ways of doing things, we proposed solutions to the issues we raised, and we even agreed to negotiate in an exploratory mode under a glass dome. But it takes two to tango and now is the time for Mr. Legault to put on his dancing shoes,” says Éric Pronovost.
Reminder of which school boards and service centers are affected:
Francophone:
– Centre de services scolaire de l’Énergie
– Centre de services scolaire de la Riveraine
– Centre de services scolaire des Draveurs
– Centre de services scolaire des Portages-de-l’Outaouais
– Centre de services scolaire de la Jonquière
– Centre de services scolaire des Trois-Lacs
– Centre de services scolaire de Laval
– Centre de services scolaire de la Beauce-Etchemin
– Centre de services scolaire des Premières-Seigneuries
– Centre de services scolaire de la Rivière-du-Nord
– Centre de services scolaire des Rives-du-Saguenay
– Centre de services scolaire de la Région-de-Sherbrooke
– Centre de services scolaire de la Pointe-de-l’Île
– Centre de services scolaire des Chic-Chocs
– Centre de services scolaire des Îles
– Centre de services scolaire des Patriotes
– Centre de services scolaire de la Vallée-des-Tisserands
– Centre de services scolaire du Fer
– Centre de services scolaire du Littoral
Anglophone:
– Eastern Shores School Board
– Eastern Townships School Board