Full day of strike action at 16 Quebec daycares

Quebec daycare workers demand better conditions Hundreds of workers in public child care are striking for better working conditions.

Workers at 16 public daycares (CPEs) in Quebec are set to walk off the job all day on Wednesday, joining a larger movement in the childcare sector, which until now was limited to strikes lasting a few hours.

This is the first day of strike action for 500 workers with the Fédération des travailleurs et travailleuses du Québec (FTQ) affiliated Syndicat québécois des employés de service (SQEES).

They say they plan to strike for three days on Dec. 4, 11 and 18, with a mandate that also allows for an unlimited strike if necessary.

Previous to this, unionized members of the Centrale des syndicats du Québec (CSQ) affiliated Fédération des intervenantes en petite enfance du Québec (FIPEQ) held several walkouts, both in public and family daycares, where services were offered later and later each week.

The dispute is mainly about pay as the wage for a qualified entry-level educator is $21.60 an hour.

The Treasury Board has already stated that the pressure tactics are coming solely from the unions.

-- This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Dec. 4, 2024.