Disruptions to provincial education services will persist across the province of Quebec. Activists could call for more strikes. Similar protests are likely to occur close to government offices and educational facilities. Protest sites are likely to experience increased security and localized transportation and business disruptions.
On Thursday, the 65,000-teacher union, Fédération autonome de l'enseignement (FAE), announced that it had halved its demands to move the government-teacher dialogue along. Teachers affiliated with the federation intend to carry out an indefinite strike throughout Quebec. Participants ask for increased pay and working conditions. The outcome of the negotiations will probably affect how long the work stoppage lasts.
Struggles of Teachers
For a considerable amount of time, teachers in Quebec have been on strike, demanding better working conditions, pay increases, and more support for the education sector. The strike will continue due to the impasse in the negotiations between the teachers' unions and the provincial government.
According to Matt Wilson, president of the Pearson Teachers' Union, "we're at a critical moment as a society and we need to invest in our education system, we need to invest in our healthcare system, and we need to invest in our people."
Teachers participating in the walkout expressed frustration about what they considered a lack of response to their issues. Their demands center on fair compensation, classroom resources, and workload. The teachers stress how important these issues are for their health and the general standard of instruction that students receive.
Schools under Montreal's biggest service centre, the Centre de services scolaire de Montréal (CSSDM), will be closed indefinitely as of Tuesday, locking more than 100,000 students out of the classroom.
The Lester B. Pearson School Board's teachers are only striking for three days - Nov. 21st, 22nd, and 23rd - but all classes, including daycare services, have been canceled. It's also the case for the English Montreal School Board except for FACE School, which has canceled classes indefinitely since November 23rd.
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Calls for Resolution
Teachers and the province have been negotiating for a year now, with educators asking for a pay increase and more student resources. They also say the job has become more demanding, and they're exhausted. According to the union, this recent action is deemed historic, representing a significant moment as they haven't engaged in a strike of this scale since 1982.
Government sources tell Global News that they've put a fair and realistic offer on the table, which includes creating permanent teaching positions and adding teacher's aides in elementary and high school. While teachers are also asking for a better student-teacher ratio, the government says it's unrealistic given the ongoing staff shortage and is waiting for a counter-offer from teachers.
Given the ongoing teachers' strike in that province, the future of education in Quebec is a matter of concern. There is hope for a solution that meets the government's and teachers' needs as long as negotiations continue.
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