Photo: Jacques Boissinot The Canadian Press Minister Sonia LeBel indicated that she would submit her offers to the unions in the CPEs “when they are ready”.
Lia Lévesque – The Canadian Press
April 11, 2024
- Quebec
Quebec finally submits its offers to the unions which represent workers in home daycare services. But he is not ready to do it yet for workers in early childhood centers (CPE).
The President of the Treasury Board, Sonia LeBel, made the announcement on Thursday at the National Assembly.
“We are precisely submitting a government deposit in the family environment, because all of the union demands are now well defined and the government can respond to them as a whole,” announced the minister.
The filing concerns both normative and monetary issues, specified the Federation of early childhood workers (FIPEQ), affiliated with the Centrale des syndicats du Québec (CSQ), which represents the majority of workers in family daycare services.
The method of remuneration for those responsible for childcare services (RSG) in a family environment is different from that of workers in CPEs, who are paid by the hour. In family settings, RSGs receive a subsidy from the Ministry of Family, which takes into account both their remuneration and the expenses inherent to childcare at their home: groceries, toys, etc.
Complaint for CPE
FIPEQ had submitted its requests in September 2023 and has been waiting since the submission of offers from Quebec, both for its members in CPEs and those in family daycare services. And the agreements have expired for more than a year, since March 31, 2023.
“We’re glad to finally have a deposit. It sure took a long time to get a deposit. On the other hand, we are happy to have a deposit, because there will be a real negotiation. We will be able to exchange things,” rejoiced Valérie Grenon, president of FIPEQ, in an interview.
The story is similar to the Federation of Health and Social Services, affiliated with the Confederation of National Unions (CSN), where the representative of the family environment, Chantal Racicot, notes that “the Ministry of the Family seems to us to be of good faith to deposit.”
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The announcement of the submission of offers by Quebec for family environments comes at a time when the FIPEQ has just filed a complaint for bad faith negotiation against the government, on behalf of its members who work in the CPE .
Minister Sonia LeBel also clarified on Thursday that she would submit her offers to the unions in the CPEs “when they are ready”.
She did not want to comment on the fact that FIPEQ filed a complaint of bad faith negotiation against her, her colleague Minister of Families, Suzanne Roy, and the employers' mutual, arguing that this was the choice unions, as well as that concerning the use of pressure tactics.
The FIPEQ requests in particular the Administrative Labor Tribunal to order them to submit a schedule of negotiation meetings, from the month of May until December, and this, within 10 days following the possible issuance of an order.