Riverside School Board teachers vote in favour of strike mandate
Other English school boards in Montreal area set to vote later this month
Teachers at the Riverside School Board on Montreal's South Shore have voted in favour of a six-day strike mandate over stalled contract negotiations with the Quebec government.
- Thousands of Quebec teachers to strike for 2 days this fall
- Extra-curricular activities put on hold in some Montreal schools
- Students, parents, staff protest against public school spending cuts
Under the mandate, the strike days would not be consecutive and would only begin after the federal election on Oct. 19, with a plan to hold another meeting after three strike days.
Eighty-six per cent of the 460 teachers who cast a ballot voted in favour of the mandate.
Steve Le Sueur, president of the Riverside teachers' union, said Tuesday night's result sends a strong message to the government.
"We gave a strong 'yes' and I think this will help the other unions moving forward," Le Sueur told CBC.
"It's been such an insult from the government that hopefully they hear our mandates loud and clear."
The result doesn't necessarily mean the teachers will go on strike, but it gives the union the option to do so if talks with the government continue to stall.
Riverside School Board represents 25 schools and about 850 teachers on the South Shore.
'Caught in the middle'
Dan Lamoureux, chair of the Riverside School Board, said his group "empathizes with the teachers," but stressed his focus is on the students.
"We're caught in the middle of all this," he said.
"I'm sure it'll cause a very serious headache, not only for the board, and for the students, but also too for those parents who have to juggle responsibilities."
Fadi Tawil, chair of the school board parent committee, didn't want to take sides in the negotiations, saying no matter what happens he'd like to see the quality of education stay high within the school board.
In a statement, a spokesperson for Education Minister François Blais said teachers using pressure tactics should ensure they do so in compliance with labour laws and their employment contracts while also respecting students' interests.
Quebec's teachers have been without a contract since April. They are asking for a 13.5 per cent pay increase over three years, while the government is offering a three per cent increase over five years, with nothing this year or next.
Teachers are also upset over the province's cost-cutting measures and their effect on the public education system.
Riverside is the first of the English school boards in the Montreal area to hold a strike vote.
Others are scheduled to follow suit in the coming days.
Several French-language school boards have voted in favour of two strike days, one on Sept. 30, and the other on varying dates in October, depending on the school board.
Dates of strike votes for Montreal-area English school boards
- Riverside: September 15
- New Frontiers: September 16
- Sir Wilfred Laurier: September 21 or 22
- Lester B. Pearson: September 24
- EMSB: September 24
with files from CBC's Alex Leduc