2nd Quebec daycare walkout affects 20,000 families

Thousands of families had to make alternative child-care arrangements Friday as a result of the second one-day strike this week by workers at publicly funded daycares across Quebec.

The strike, which closed 360 child-care centres, affects more than 20,000 families. It follows a one-day walkout Monday at more than 100 daycares.

A group of daycare workers rallied in Montreal Friday afternoon.

Michelle Nicolas, a Gatineau daycare worker, was one of the group of Outaouais workers on the bus to Montreal for the protest.

"We're going to fight to keep whatever we have because they're trying to get it from us. We're not even fighting for more," Nicolas said.

In the Outaouais region of Quebec, just north of Ottawa, 19 daycares and almost 300 workers are affected by the strike.

Marie-Josée Saint-Pierre, a mother of three, had to miss work Friday to take care of her two youngest daughters.

"Unfortunately I do not have a magic wand that I can just shake and have a grandparent appear …  to watch my kids today," Saint-Pierre said. "I have no family in Montreal, so I have to watch my kids."

Saint-Pierre said that while she and many other parents empathize with the workers, she also is concerned for other young mothers like herself.

'There’s less on the table for the daycare workers than there was for the public sector.' —Jeff Begley, CSN negotiator

"For young mothers, like me, that need to work –— I need the income — I have to lose two days of income this week to watch my daughters," she said.

Jeff Begley, vice-president of the Federation of Health and Social Services with the Confédération des syndicats nationaux (CSN), which represents 8,500 daycare workers, said he understands the frustrations of parents and guardians.

"I understand their frustrations… it’s frustrations that our workers are feeling also — they’re losing a day’s pay," Begley said.

Workers at publicly funded early childhood centres, or CPEs, have been without a contract for two years, and the sticking points in talks so far have been salaries, vacation time and schedules.

However, Minister of Families Yolande James said the issue of salaries has been resolved with a pay offer of a six per cent increase over five years. She said the reason it’s taking longer to get a firm deal is because it’s the first time all public daycares are negotiating at once.

Begley said he sees one major problem.

"When you look at the global picture, there’s less on the table for the daycare workers than there was for the public sector," he said.

"[The government is] asking for 80 per cent of our people that have a four-day work schedule to lose stat holidays, nearly half of our people will lose sick days and the big one is the insurance increases they are proposing for us to increase that will eat the first two years of the pay increase that the ministry has put on the table," he said.

Vacation weeks a contentious issue

A contentious issue right now is vacation times.

James had commented earlier that some daycare workers receive seven to eight weeks paid vacation, but Begley said there are only a few who have that many weeks and they would remain because they had been negotiated previously.

He claims the CSN has asked for eight sick days, 11 stat days and after 15 years there would be six weeks of vacation. Plus the additional eight days for personal leave.

James clarified that in the public sector, the government offers five weeks vacation after 25 years.

"At this time this is not what [the CSN is] accepting …they are expecting the minimum of five weeks after 10 years and for those who already have more to maintain that."