Let Negotiations Begin!

MONTREAL , Jan. 18, 2023 /CNW Telbec/ - On Thursday, January 19, 2023, negotiations between the Quebec Provincial Association of Teachers (QPAT), representing teachers in Quebec's English public education sector, and the provincial government will begin. QPAT members will be present in Montreal to mark the first day of negotiations and to support the QPAT negotiating team.

On December 15, the Comité patronal de négociation pour les commissions scolaires anglophones (CPNCA) submitted its counteroffer for the renewal of the 2020-2023 collective agreement, which will expire on March 31, 2023. More than half of the government's proposals are recycled versions of the ones from 2019 that demonstrated then, as they do today, its failure to listen to the needs of teachers and students.

Teachers' priorities in this round of negotiations are to obtain class sizes that take into account the needs of students in each classroom and a workload that is not burdened with administrative tasks but allows time to concentrate on what is most important: teaching their students. Other demands include more investment in student services and teacher mentoring as well as an increase in professional autonomy. In addition, teachers want to reduce the number of years needed to reach the top of their salary scale. Teachers' salaries in Quebec are still lagging behind other provinces.

"If you ask teachers what they want, they will tell you that they want their students to succeed. The number of students with special needs has increased and the services are not meeting these needs. If the system is not allowing you to do your job, it's pretty disheartening. There is a growing sentiment of defeat, burnout, and career abandonment. Coupled with the teacher shortage, teachers are overwhelmed. If education is a priority of the CAQ government, these negotiations will be crucial for improving education in this province." Heidi Yetman, president of QPAT.

QPAT Mobilization Action
Thursday, January 19, 2023
1410 Stanley Street, Montreal
9:00 am to 10:00 am

QPAT is 8000+ members strong and works to protect the individual rights and the collective good of all teachers across the province.  Established in 1864, QPAT is Canada's oldest unions. 

SOURCE Quebec Provincial Association of Teachers

Julie Montpetit, QPAT Press Officer, 514-249-9653, [email protected]