MONTREAL -- Voting begins Thursday among several unions representing child-care workers who reached tentative agreements with Quebec on Wednesday.
The four organizations that represent workers in child-care centers — the FSSS, FIPEQ, SQEES and the Métallos — all reached agreements with Quebec on Wednesday, one after the other.
In a message to its members, the CSN-affiliated Fédération de la santé et des services sociaux (FSSS) announced that workers would return to the job next Monday, even though its members have not yet voted on the agreement. It had said on Wednesday that the strike would continue as long as the members had not voted.
“As soon as the national results are known, we will announce a return to work on Monday, Dec. 13," the social media message to members said.
Some members were irritated by the fact that the CSN seemed to presume the vote of its members, and made this known on its Facebook page.
“If you say we’re going back to work on Dec.13, then why vote at all???????” wrote one member.
“They are assuming we will vote for the proposal,” another added.
FSSS union members have been on strike since Dec. 1.
For the CSQ-affilated Fédération des intervenantes en petite enfance (FIPEQ), which is not on strike, meetings will begin Saturday. The result should be announced early next week.
The FIPEQ was scheduled to go on strike indefinitely on Thursday morning, but decided to postpone when the agreement in principle was reached with Quebec.
For the FTQ-affiliated Syndicat québécois des employés de service (SQEES), affiliated to the FTQ, the voteing has not yet begun.
The SQEES is not on strike either; like the FIPEQ, it postponed the indefinite strike that it intended to call Thursday morning.
As for the Syndicat des Métallos, affiliated with the FTQ, its two unions on strike will decide at meetings next week.
— This report was first published in French by The Canadian Press on Dec. 9, 2021.
