Two other unions affiliated with the FAE voted against the deal on principle

Dissatisfaction is growing against the agreement reached in principle between the Federation of Autonomous Education (FAE) and Quebec: the two affiliated unions rejected it late Thursday evening.

Meeting in a virtual general assembly, teachers of the Quebec Regional Education Union (SERQ) voted 60% against. The union represents approximately 9,000 teachers from school service centers in the capital and Prémières-Seigneuries and approximately 3,700 of them were present during the referendum.

Members of the Seigneurie Education Union (SES) also met on Thursday evening and in the evening voted 58% against the deal.

The SES represents approximately 900 secondary, vocational and adult education teachers from the Trois-Lacs school service center in Montérégie.

Four against, four against

The fate of the deal, which ended in late December after more than 20 days of strike action, looks hard to predict, with four unions so far ratifying the deal and another four rejecting it.

In order to be ratified, the agreement must be accepted in principle by a majority of unions affiliated to the FAE – which has nine members – and by a majority of the members it represents.

It is the teachers of Haute-Yamaska ​​in Montérégie, the FAE's last local union, who will have the last word during their general assembly scheduled for January 31.

If the contract is rejected by a majority of members, teachers will not return to an indefinite general strike. The FAE must start fresh by consulting its faculty again on a new strategy and possible pressure tactics to return to the negotiating table.

The teachers were torn

The close results show how deeply the deal, reached at the end of December after more than 20 days of strike action, is dividing teachers.

In terms of salary, the proposed regulation offers an average salary increase of 21.5%, but it is above all the provisions surrounding the “mixing of classes” at the heart of union demands, leaving many teachers frustrated.

Votes of unions affiliated with the FAE on the agreement in principle:

FOR

Pointe-de-l'Île Education Union

CSS de la Pointe-de-l'Île

5300 members

Result: 59%

Montreal Teachers' Alliance

Montreal CSS

14,000 members

Result: 54%

Outois Education Union

CSS des Portages-de-l'Outauais, des Draveurs and Cœur-des-Vallées

6600 members

Result: 58%

West Montreal Teachers Association

CSS Marguerite-Burgeoys

8000 members

Result: 51%

vs

Laval Regional Education Union

Laval CSS

8000 members

Result: 68% against

Basses-Laurentides Education Union

Thousand Islands CSS

7900 members

Result: 72% against

Lordships Educational Union

CSS des trois-logs

900 members

Result: 58% against

Quebec Regional Education Union

CSS of Capital and First Lords

9000 members

Result: 60% Vs

The Autonomous Education Federation brings together nine affiliated unions.

Members of the Haute-Yasmaska ​​Education Union in Montérégie will vote on January 31.