English school boards join three-day strike set for next week

Several English Montreal school boards plan to join the strike action next week for three days.

The Lester B. Pearson School Board sent letters to parents on Monday confirming that its teachers plan to strike, as did the Sir Wilfred Laurier School Board, Riverside School Board, and the New Frontiers School Board on the South Shore.

The Quebec Provincial Association of Teachers union filed a strike notice for Nov. 21 to 23, the same three days the Common Front said will also be on strike if no deal with the government is reached.

"As a result of major impacts resulting from this strike action, the Lester B. Pearson School Board will be cancelling all elementary, secondary, and adult and vocational classes," the letter reads.

• Is your family scrambling to make arrangements due to the strike? We'd like to speak with you for a story. E-mail us at [e-mail]

The Lester B. Pearson School Board includes elementary and adult vocational schools in addition to the following secondary Schools:

• Beaconsfield High School
• LaSalle Community Comprehensive High School
• Beurling Academy
• Macdonald High School
• Horizon High School
• Pierrefonds Community
• High School
• John Rennie High School
• St. Thomas High School
• Lakeside Academy
• Westwood Junior and Senior High School

A source in the English Montreal School Board said that it would likely join the three-day grievance and that further confirmation will go out to parents tomorrow.

The Common Front includes four major unions - CSN, CSQ, FTQ, APTS. The union group also held a one-day strike on Nov. 6.

"Our bargaining teams will be available at all times over the next two weeks," said Common Front spokesperson Francois Enault and other union leaders in a statement when the strike was announced. "The objective is to get a win-win settlement for workers and the public. No one wants another round of strike action, but we’ll be ready to go that route if we have to.” 

FAE UNLIMITED GENERAL STRIKE COMING

Meantime, the around 65,000 French-language teachers affiliated with the FAE (federation autonome de l'enseignement) announced that they plan a general unlimited strike starting Thursday, on Nov. 23, if no deal is reached.

The education unions are seeking an agreement with the Quebec government. A key sticking point is salaries. The FAE said on Monday that teachers in Quebec earn salaries below the Canadian average.

Service centres affected by the FAE Nov. 23 strike include:

MONTREAL AREA

• Centre de services scolaire de Montréal
• Centre de services scolaire Marguerite-Bourgeoys
• Centre de services scolaire de la Pointe-de-l'Île
• Centre de services scolaire de Laval

QUEBEC CITY REGION

• Centre de services scolaire de la Capitale
• Centre de services scolaire des Premières-Seigneuries

MONTEREGIE

• Centre de services scolaire des Trois-Lacs
• Centre de services scolaire du Val-des-Cerfs

LAURENTIANS

• Centre de services scolaire des Mille-Îles

OUTAOUAIS

• Centre de services scolaire des Portages-de-l'Outaouais
• Centre de services scolaire des Draveurs
• Centre de services scolaire au Cœur-des-Vallées