Dozens of public daycares in Montreal and Laval to strike next week

Daycare workers at dozens of publicly-funded daycare centres (CPEs) in Montreal and Laval are set to go on strike as of May 3, if their union cannot reach a last-minute agreement with the Quebec government.

The four-day strike would affect 60 CPEs that operate 83 facilities throughout the region. 

The workers are represented by the Syndicat des travailleuses des Centre de la petite enfance CPE de Montréal et de Laval, which is part of the Confédération des syndicats nationaux (CSN) — one of the largest labour federations in the province.

The initial four-day strike could be followed by further job action, as the union had already voted in favour of a 10-day strike mandate. However, it is possible that the strike could be averted, as the union and government are set to meet for a final conciliation meeting on Thursday.

Last winter, the government reached an agreement with unions representing public daycare workers to renew the collective agreement. 

However, the organization representing the association of employers in Montreal and Laval was not at the provincial negotiating table, deciding instead to negotiate a separate collective agreement for the region.