FSE teacher's union reaches 'proposed settlement' with Quebec government

Two Quebec unions representing teachers, the FSE and the QPAT, both affialited with the the Centrale des syndicats du Québec (CSQ), said Friday evening they've approved a "proposed settlement" with the Legault government amid negotiations for the renewal of collective agreements.

The unions insist this development is not an agreement in principle, stressing they must first consult with their members. Nevertheless, the FSE-CSQ and QPAT said they're endorsing the proposed sectoral agreement tabled by the provincial government Friday morning and studied throughout the day.  

"We had a mandate to make concrete improvements to the daily lives of teachers, based on our three priorities of class composition, workload reduction and remuneration. We were able to agree on a draft regulation because we are making progress on these three elements," said FSE-CSQ president Josée Scalabrini and APEQ-QPAT president Steven Le Sueur in a press release issued late Friday. 

The FSE (Fédération des syndicats de l'enseignement ) represents 95,000 Quebec teachers while the QPAT (Quebec Provincial Association of Teachers) represents members of the English-language school network. Both are part of the Common Front of public sector unions in Quebec. 

The draft proposal sectoral, meaning it only concerns certain issues, primarily class size and support staff for teachers. But issues like wages, for example, are still in dispute, which means an unlimited strike is still in the cards. 

"The problem remains unresolved with regard to the issues at the central, or intersectoral, table. In particular, wage issues will have to be resolved to avoid an unlimited Common Front general strike in early 2024," the unions warned. 

Meanwhile, the 66,000-member FAE union (Fédération autonome de l'enseignement), which is negotiating separately from the other teachers' unions, remains at a standstill with Quebec City.

On unlimited strike since Nov. 23, the FAE plans to continue picketing in the new year. Roughly 800 schools in Quebec have been closed for a month.