Unlimited general strike shuts public daycares across Quebec

About 11,000 daycare workers are taking part in an unlimited strike, shutting down about 400 public daycares across the province of Quebec.

The Confédération des syndicats nationaux (CSN), representing the employees, is exercising its pre-approved strike mandate after collective agreement negotiations with the province failed to bear fruit Tuesday.

Negotiations stalled over the issue of salaries for support staff. Premier François Legault's administration is offering educators a pay hike of up to 20 per cent of salary, and daycare unions, including the CSN, have agreed to the increase.

But support staff in the daycares, including those who work in maintenance, administration and kitchens, were only offered a nine per cent increase. That proved to be a sticking point.

Negotiations continue Wednesday and Thursday, but Lucie Longchamps, vice-president at the union told Radio-Canada they felt the need to go on strike now.

She said the negotiations last week showed no movement on the increase for support staff, and while the union was optimistic that progress could be made Tuesday, that didn't happen.

"Educators, their salary has been handled, or just about," she said. "But there's no question, for them, to move on without their colleagues, who work in other jobs, without an increase for them too."

Kyrstin Ghezzo, an educator at CPE Pointe-Saint-Charles in Montreal, is among those striking. While her pay has already been settled, she agreed that everyone who works in the daycare should be getting the same increase.

"At this point, with all the employees and all the children, and more children and being more demanding and longer hours, it takes a toll on us," Ghezzo said.

"As much as parents are suffering, we're suffering also, because we're not getting paid at the moment," she added.

Tzivia Abaiov's son recently enrolled in a public daycare. She said she didn't know what the hourly wages are for daycare workers, but wants them to be satisfied, especially since they work with children.

"But at the same time, is the union and the strike the best way?" she asked.

Longchamps said the union will return to the table Wednesday and Thursday.

"We can be there seven days a week, almost 24 hours a day," she said. "We will do everything we can to get a satisfying agreement for daycare workers."

A second union, the Fédération des intervenantes en petite enfance du Québec, affiliated with the Centrale des syndicats du Québec (FIPEQ-CSQ), has 3,200 members. They also approved an indefinite strike mandate last week, but no walkout date has been set.