MONTREAL -- On the first day back to school for many students, Quebec’s crossing guards are expected to protest, denouncing a decrease in their working hours.
They claim the cutbacks will put schoolchildren at greater risk.
The crossing guards’ union is accusing the municipal government in Quebec City of not consulting principals and school boards before cutting services by 25,000 hours in recent months.
Yannick Labrecque, a union advisor at the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), insists Quebec City Mayor Régis Labeaume shaped their hours on the time the bell rings – without taking into account students who are early or late.
"Obviously, there are always children who are a little late," he said.
He argues school crossing guards should be on duty at least five minutes after the bell rings.
He estimates that the average day for school crossing guards have dropped from 15 hours to 11.25 hours.
Labrecque says he deplores that the new schedules do not take into account the fact that some schools offer extracurricular activities, or that some have lessons that start either earlier or later in the day.
According to the union, based on information from 200 guards, about 50 children cross the street every day during a period that is no longer covered.
The union says it intends to put pressure on the Labeaume administration as it prepares for collective agreement negotiations.
Last August, Labeaume said he was outraged by the attitude of the union's spokespeople, accusing them of lying "brazenly" and using children to push their agenda during negotiations.
He insisted a study showed that school crossing guards were working unnecessarily and the changes did not put the children’s safety at risk.
-- with files from the Canadian Press.
