explainer: quebec's daycare labour disputes and strikes
thousands of early childcare workers in quebec are planning to strike next month.
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early childcare workers took to the streets thursday to denounce the quebec government’s “attitude” amid contract negotiations that have been dragging on since the spring. working conditions are at the core of the labour dispute between quebec and the two unions representing workers in early childhood centres (cpes) and those who run at-home daycares in the province. demands mainly revolve around salary increases and other ways to bring more recognition and better value to the profession, as the government grapples with a shortage of places in daycares across quebec.
thursday’s effort, led by the csn-affiliated fédération de la santé et des services sociaux (fsss), was held outside the offices of the ministry of families to mark national child care worker and early childhood educator appreciation day. it comes as both the fsss and the other union representing the same type of workers — the csq-affiliated fédération des intervenantes en petite enfance du québec (fipeq) — gear up to strike for varying periods of time.
here’s a breakdown of what’s going on.
who is involved?
the csn-fsss represents about 12,500 cpe workers and 3,000 members who run at-home daycares.
the csq-fipeq includes 3,000 members who work in cpes and 9,000 who run at-home daycares.
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their contracts expired in 2023, and they’ve been in negotiations with quebec since the spring of this year.
what are they asking for?
in the case of the fsss, the demands among cpe workers and those who run at-home daycares are similar and mainly involve salary increases, vacation, and more appreciation and recognition for the jobs in general, said lucie longchamp, the union’s vice-president and head of parapublic and private sectors.
she said both types of workers were offered a 12.7 per cent salary increase over five years, which is “below the price of inflation.”
“it’s below the cost of living,” longchamp said. “so we’re very, very far from an agreement.”
anne-marie bellerose, president of fipeq, pointed out a few differences in demands between members who run at-home daycares and those who work in cpes. she specified that the former are paid through subsidies, not salaries, which also cover their operations.
“feeding the kids, buying pedagogical materials … so we want an increase to absorb inflation,” she said.
they also want a decreased workload, mainly when it comes to administrative measures that bellerose described as “too heavy,” and more support for children with specific needs.
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cpe workers under fipeq also want salary increases, extra support for children with specific needs and more support staff to decrease their workload to avoid exhaustion.
what happens now?
fsss members who run at-home daycares recently voted to strike for up to five days, longchamp said. the cpe workers are on their way to adopting similar pressure tactics, but haven’t just yet.
“before christmas, there could be concerted actions such as small strike moments,” longchamp said.
members of fipeq who run at-home daycare centres, meanwhile, are triggering pressure tactics as of nov. 11, bellerose said. for four weeks, daycares will open a half-hour later every day. cpe workers will join in and open later on fridays during each of those four weeks.
“we hope to increase pressure to accelerate the negotiation and have a new offer from the government,” bellerose said.
both longchamp and bellerose said they’re aware the tactics will complicate things for families, but that they feel like they have parents’ support.
“i think quebec parents understand that if workers are doing this … it’s to ensure that their kids have services and they keep having services,” longchamp said.
parents will also be advised of strikes with plenty of notice so they have time to plan, both said.
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when will it end?
when the unions and the government agree on new contracts for workers.
“we wanted (an agreement) before christmas,” longchamp said. “but at the speed things are moving now, we have very little chances — that’s why we agreed on pressure tactics.”
she added that the matter could be resolved quickly in theory, but “the government … is asking us to do less with more, so we’re very, very far from an agreement.”
bellerose, meanwhile, said fipeq hasn’t ruled out other pressure tactics depending on how negotiations progress.
“ultimately, what we want is an agreement and to not have to strike, because no one wants to strike,” she said. “but unfortunately, it seems like the only way to make the government budge.”
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