Quebec's public daycares start rolling strikes to demand higher pay, more resources

Many parents will have to make alternativearrangements for their children starting today as thousands of Quebec's public daycare workers walk off the job over the next week.

Around 600Centres de la petite enfance commonly referred to as CPEs are staging rotating strikes across the province in an effort topressure the Quebec government toimprovetheir working conditions and speed up thenegotiation of anew collective agreement.

Public daycares in the regions of Montreal, Laval, Lanaudire, Montrgie and the Eastern Townshipswill strike today and the Capitale-Nationale, Chaudire-Appalaches and Abitibi-Tmiscamingue tomorrow.Other daycaresprovincewide will follow suit later this week.

Early childhood educators with the Fdration des intervenantes en petite enfance du Qubec (FIPEQ), affiliated with the Centrale des syndicats du Qubec (CSQ) arekicking off the strike Tuesdayand Wednesday.

FIPEQ-CSQ president Valrie Grenonsaysthree major sticking points are currently blocking negotiations:educatorswant higher salaries, more resources for staff and bettersupport forchildren with special needs.

The union is asking for a pay bumpof 21 to 27 per cent, while the government is offering about half that. Grenon says the increase is needed to maintaina minimum level of staffing.

Grenon saysthe system is currently short about 3,000 educators.In five years time, she says that number could reach 13,000, according to estimates.

Despite several days of negotiations over the past few weeks, Grenon says nothing has changed.

"We are still on the July offers. For us, this is unacceptable. We didn't accept it in July, we won't accept it today," she said.

In addition to increased salary and resources, the union is fighting to get rid ofmandatory overtime."This is their solution to solve the labour shortage, [the government] tells us," says Grenon.

Educators are planning to demonstratein Montreal and Sherbrooke on Tuesday, and in Lvis and Rouyn-Noranda on Wednesday.

Union members with the CSN-affiliated Fdration de la sant et des services sociaux have announced they will strike on Thursday and Friday.

Child-care workers with the FTQ-affiliated Syndicat qubcois des employes et employs de service will strike on Oct. 18 and 19.