Teachers' negotiations: union group FAE reaches agreement with Quebec government

Teachers across Quebec begin strike Teachers from schools across the province, upset over slow contract talks and working conditions, began morning strikes.

QUEBEC CITY — One Quebec teachers' union, the Fédération autonome de l'enseignement, has reached a tentative deal with Quebec City on the renewal of the collective agreement affecting its 49,000 teachers.

The agreement covers not only sectoral issues such as working conditions, but also intersectoral issues, such as salaries, the union organization confirmed Thursday morning.

When contacted by phone, the FAE refused to talk about a tentative agreement, using the term 'comprehensive settlement proposal'. But it confirms that both wages and working conditions are being addressed.

As with a tentative agreement, this 'comprehensive settlement proposal' will now have to be submitted to an intermediary body, the Federal Bargaining Council.

It is this intermediate body that will then decide whether this proposal qualifies as a tentative agreement, and thus whether it should be recommended to the FAE membership.

FAE president Sylvain Mallette is not available for interviews at this time. The union represents 49,000 elementary, secondary and vocational teachers. It is independent of the major unions.

NO AGREEMENT YET FOR FSE-CSQ

However, the Fédération des syndicats de l'enseignement (FSE), affiliated to the CSQ, represents the largest number of teachers at the elementary and secondary levels. It negotiates for 73,000 of them.

The FSE has not yet reached an agreement with Quebec, but negotiations have made progress.

"We are still in negotiations. What is on the table is insufficient for us to achieve our goals and the priorities set by our teachers, who want to see significant improvements in their daily lives," the union federation said.

- This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 15, 2021.