Childcare workers to vote on strike mandate in November

A daycare centre in Ontario, photographed on May 29, 2018. Workers in childcare centres that are members of CSN-affiliated unions will be asked in November to adopt a strike mandate. (The Canadian Press) /Darryl Dyck)

Some 12,000 workers in childcare centres will be asked to vote on a strike mandate in November.

The mandate sought by the unions of the CSN-affiliated Federation of Health and Social Services is for a five-day strike. These could be taken in blocks of days or individually, but not in half-days.

The meetings to vote on this strike mandate will be held from November 2 to 15, said Stéphanie Vachon, early childhood education (CPE) sector representative at the federation, in an interview on Tuesday.

If strike action is actually called, it could take place as early as the end of November.

Quebec tabled its offers to childcare workers last April. It is facing a shortage of childcare workers and is therefore trying to optimize the use of those already on the job.

Salary, leave, and workload are among the issues in dispute.

Negotiations have not broken down, however. The parties are continuing to negotiate, and dates have been set for October and November.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Oct. 1, 2024.