Quebec Makes Offers to Daycare Unions as Negotiations Begin
The province of Quebec has officially made its offers to daycare unions as negotiations for a new collective agreement begin. This comes after months of discussions and delays due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The offers were presented to the unions on Monday by the Treasury Board President Sonia LeBel and the Minister of Families Mathieu Lacombe. The government’s proposals include a salary increase of 13.5% over five years, as well as a $1,000 bonus for early childhood educators.
In addition, the government has proposed a new salary scale for educators with a bachelor’s degree, which would see their salaries increase by 17.5% over five years. This would bring their salaries in line with those of teachers in the public school system.
The government has also offered to increase the number of subsidized daycare spaces by 10,000 over the next five years, with a focus on regions with high demand. This would bring the total number of subsidized spaces in the province to 300,000.
However, the unions have expressed disappointment with the government’s offers, stating that they do not address the key issues of working conditions and staffing shortages. They have also raised concerns about the proposed salary increases not being enough to attract and retain qualified educators.
The negotiations between the government and the unions are expected to continue in the coming weeks, with both sides hoping to reach a mutually beneficial agreement. The current collective agreement for daycare workers expired on March 31, 2020, and has been extended until June 30, 2021.
The daycare sector plays a crucial role in Quebec, with over 200,000 children enrolled in the province’s subsidized daycare system. It is also a major employer, with over 40,000 early childhood educators working in the sector.
As negotiations continue, both the government and the unions are committed to finding a solution that will benefit both the workers and the families who rely on the province’s daycare system.
