MONTREAL -- Even though Quebec teachers are already expressing their frustration, Education Minister Jean-François Roberge said he is convinced they will end up signing a collective agreement "with a smile on their lips."
He also believes support for school board reform will grow as people come to understand its benefits.
Negotiations to renew collective agreements with 550,000 unionized state employees, including teachers, are only at the very beginning, said Roberge during a news conference in Montreal on Tuesday.
The agreements effectively expire on March 31. The Legault government has already said it wants to grant salary increases to aides and teachers.
Roberge said he's optimistic and believes that by adjusting and negotiating, everyone will ultimately find something to gain.
As for Bill 40, which will abolish school boards and bring in regional service centres, the minister said he is convinced that the more people see the benefits, the more they will adhere to them.
Last Friday in Montreal, the minister was met by dozens of teachers from the union l'Fédération autonome de l'enseignement (FAE), who sharply criticized his reform of the school boards.
