Que. teachers' union to make counter-offer, indefinite strike continues
FAE union heads say they've refused Quebec's latest contract offer and plan to offer their own terms to end the widespread teachers' strike which stretched into its seventh day Friday.
"On Tuesday evening, November 28, the FAE received a new offer from the government which it analyzed rigorously," read a French-language release from the teachers' union.
However, the union says the province's offer did not "make it possible to suspend the unlimited general strike."
"So, this strike will continue on Monday," said union president Melanie Hubert during a Friday evening press conference in Montreal following two days of union meetings.
"On the other hand, the FAE remains determined to find a satisfactory agreement," she said. "The time spent over the past two days has been devoted to working on a counter-offer which will be tabled as quickly as possible at the negotiating table."
She said the union wants to continue talks over the weekend to "take advantage of these two days where the students do not miss school, where teachers are not deprived of salary."
Treasury Board President Sonia LeBel took to social media to express her disappointment.
"We are aware of the impacts of the strike on the students, and we are obviously disappointed," wrote LeBel in French. "But, we are committed to signing agreements for the benefit of students and staff, so we will continue our efforts to get there as quickly as possible." She said negotiations will continue over the coming days.
The announcement came on the heels of controversial remarks from Quebec Premier Francois Legault, who told reporters Friday that he has "a hard time living with the fact that our children aren't in school."
"What's happening now is bad for our children," said the premier. The union said Legault's words amount to "emotional blackmail."
"What's hurting public schools is the deterioration of the system which has been exacerbated since you've been in power," the union wrote in a social media post addressed to Legault.
The FAE, which stands for the Federation autonome de l'enseignement, represents 66,500 teachers at the primary and secondary levels. They've been on strike since Nov. 23, shutting around 800 schools across the province.
Quebec's remaining 95,000 teachers are members of the CSQ, which is part of the Common Front.
The Common Front held its own four-day strike in November and has since announced seven more strike days, which are expected to run from Dec. 8 to 14.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Slovakia's populist prime minister shot in assassination attempt, shocking Europe before elections
Slovakia's populist prime minister, Robert Fico, was shot multiple times and gravely wounded Wednesday after a political event in an attempted assassination that shocked the small country and reverberated across Europe.
Transport Canada's UFO 'lead' planned to meet with U.S. intel officials, called info requests a 'wild goose chase'
Canada's transportation department had a UFO 'lead' who tried to 'quell' media interest and planned to meet with U.S. intelligence officials.
'Very expensive lunch': Sask. driver handed a cell phone ticket for using points app in McDonald's drive-thru
A warning from a Saskatoon driver about using your fast-food app while in the drive-thru line — a trip to get some free lunch cost him a lot more than he bargained for.
'The Fly' has become notorious in France after a brazen escape. What's his criminal history?
A prisoner nicknamed “The Fly” has become notorious in France overnight after a daring and bloody escape from a prison convoy in Normandy that left two guards dead.
Ontario's 'Crypto King' Aiden Pleterski arrested
Aiden Pleterski, the self-proclaimed 'crypto king' from Whitby, Ont., has been arrested in Durham Region after allegedly running a Ponzi scheme worth more than $40 million.
Barge hits a bridge in Texas, damaging the structure and causing an oil spill
A barge slammed into a bridge pillar in Galveston, Texas, on Wednesday, spilling oil into surrounding waters and closing the only road to a smaller and separate island that is home to a university, officials said. There were no immediate reports of injuries.
Person responsible for 1996 drugging of 'Titanic' crew likely not a local: Halifax police
Halifax Regional Police believe a non-resident could be responsible for the infamous drugging of numerous crew members of the 'Titanic' movie with a hallucinogenic in 1996.
Latest updates on the biggest wildfires burning in Canada
Thousands of people in Western Canada remain displaced from their homes as wildfires threaten their communities, triggering evacuation orders and alerts.
OPINION If you think you can’t focus for long, you’re right: Sandee LaMotte
Regaining your focus requires you to be mindful of how you are using technology -- a daunting task if you consider the average American spends at least 10 hours a day on screens.