Some CEGEP workers to strike on November 23 and 24

Amid negotiations between various unions and the Quebec government, CEGEPs will be affected by another strike action.

This time, workers represented by the Syndicat de professionnelles et professionnels du gouvernement du Québec (SPGQ) will strike on Nov. 23 and 24, unless an agreement is reached by then.

Union members are following in the footsteps of the 65,000 primary and secondary school teachers with the Fédération autonome de l'enseignement (FAE), who will be on unlimited general strike from Nov. 23.

"The 10.3 per cent offers we received from the government are not only insufficient, they're insulting," said SPGQ president Guillaume Bouvrette on Saturday morning.

Staff retention is also at the heart of the dispute, according to the union.

"There's an exodus to universities where conditions are more attractive. This is true for researchers, but also for educational consultants and librarians," said Bouvrette.

"For certain job categories, such as psychologists and counselors, it's more attractive to turn to private practice," he added.

Negotiations are proving difficult in the education sector, where union members with the Common Front -- made up of the CSN, CSQ, APTS and FTQ -- also held a first-day strike on November 6.

The Common Front represents 420,000 workers in the public sector, including education and some CEGEP workers.  

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Nov. 11, 2023.