With the start of the school year fast approaching, many school service centers still haven't reached an agreement with bus drivers, leading the government to mandate a negotiator.
In a press release issued Wednesday morning, the Education Ministry announced the appointment of Claude Sauvageau as negotiator "to guarantee a reliable and safe transportation service for all Quebec students."
Discussions are still underway between the government and the Bus Carriers Federation to facilitate the contract renewals.
Sauvageau's mandate will be to "rally the parties towards a common position," the press release said. He will also support school service centers and school boards engaged in a "negotiation sprint" with transporters.
According to the ministry, several student transportation contracts expired on June 30. Agreement renewals are reportedly slow due to multiple factors, including inflation, which affects operating costs, and labour shortages, which could lead to service disruptions in some regions.
Meanwhile, Quebec's school services federation (FCSSQ) says it's prepared to "deploy contingency measures."
While postponing the start of the school year and remote learning have been ruled out, the use of public transportation and before and after-school childcare services are on the table.
The FCSSQ says each school day without busing saves about $5 million, which gives service centers room to fund alternative measures.
In a press release, the federation welcomed the appointment of Sauvageau and said it was "reassured" by the continuation of negotiations.
This report was first published in French by The Canadian Press on Aug. 17, 2022.
