By William Crooks

Local Journalism Initiative

Despite the sacrifices, local striking unions, part of Quebec’s Common Front of 420,000 public sector workers, are determined to see things through, and some associations are showing their support.

In a show of student unity and activism, the Student Association of Cégep de Sherbrooke (SACS) has announced its unequivocal support for the Common Front’s recent picketing movement at the Cégep campus. The Common Front’s strike, spanning from Dec. 8 to 14, is intended to put pressure on the government at the negotiating table with the stated effort of improving public sector working conditions. The SACS declaration follows a resolution passed at the General Assembly of the association on Oct. 3, underscoring the student body’s firm commitment to the causes championed by the Common Front.

Local teachers

“We know that our strike sequences are having an effect at the negotiating table,” said Brigitte Robert, President of Champlain Lennoxville’s SECCL teacher’s union, a member of the Common Front. The government recently offered the Common Front members a 12.7 per cent salary increase over the next five years, up from their previous offer of 10.3 per cent. The offer was refused. “It was not good enough for us,” said Robert, “because it doesn’t catch up to inflation.”

However, the Common Front sees that the government is “trying”, Robert noted, and there will be a meeting of the government’s negotiating committee this week. There is nothing official yet, she added, but “the rhythm has changed”.

Champlain Lennoxville has revised its school calendar in reaction to the Common Front’s strike actions, to ensure students’ continued success, explained Robert. The semester will now end on Dec. 26 and there will be no makeup classes in January. She is not expecting the school to use Dec. 26, but it is there just in case there is a storm or other obstruction.

One weekend day, Dec. 16, has been newly set aside for exams. The teaching days lost due to the strike, five and a half days, she reiterated, are “gone”. This was a “puzzle” for teachers, and many simply canceled their end of semester evaluations in response, since students could not be reasonably expected to be prepared. Some teachers opted for take-home exams, which add to their marking load, she noted. Since teachers do not wish to work while on strike, exams they have handed out are due on Dec. 15 or later. “We’re going to be grading all over Christmas.”

A mother of young children who are off school because of the strike, Robert cannot always bring them to the picket lines because of her role as President of the SECCL. They came to the strike with her last Friday and played in the snow. There is a table set up with “candy and sweet stuff”; her children said they came for the food.

Robert’s parents live in Sherbrooke, so her children can sometimes stay with their grandparents. She has two or three babysitters, young teenagers, who are also off school and can help out. It is too bad her children are missing school, but they do not seem to mind too much, she said with a laugh.

She acknowledges the difficulties parents are facing due to the strikes. Some are taking sick days from their bank, which takes a toll. Robert has a large network of colleagues with children, and has heard that many are dealing with the challenge by alternating between them who takes care of everyone’s kids. “We can manage and collaborate”. She is sure they are doing the right thing by putting pressure on the government, and all the parents she has talked to are supportive of the strike, though it is not very convenient.

Some teachers live paycheck to paycheck and are really sacrificing, she continued. The CSQ, a subgroup of unions part of the larger Common Front, is offering interest free loans for the equivalent of one week’s wages. Many members she knows have applied. “People are financially strained.”

Robert’s union’s strike fund is “rapidly depleting”. It has lowered its “strike pay” from $120 to $80 so it lasts longer, just in case more strike actions extend into the future. Single parents are finding it especially hard, she noted, as well as situations where both parents in a family are part of the Common Front.

The Common Front will be demonstrating Dec. 12 in front of Saint-Francois MNA Geneviève Hébert’s office. Dec. 13 there will be a “striker’s Christmas” event held locally, and picketing will continue throughout the week.

Student support

Marking their support in a tangible manner, the SACS have set up a distinctive tent at the Cégep de Sherbrooke picketing site. This move is emblematic of their active participation and solidarity with the members of the Common Front, states a press release. The Executive Council of the association is expected to be often present, playing an active role in the proceedings.

The association has extended a warm invitation to all Cégep de Sherbrooke students to join the picket line in a show of solidarity and support for the significant issues at stake. This collective mobilization is not just a mere gathering but a significant opportunity for the student community to visibly and vocally express their commitment to the ideals and objectives of the Common Front.

In a statement, the association expressed its belief that this demonstration is a potent display of the strength and unity of the student voice within the institution. They have called upon the entire student community to join forces in this significant event, to collectively amplify their support for the Common Front and the values it represents.

This development at Cégep de Sherbrooke is a vivid example of student activism and solidarity in the face of pressing social and educational issues, reflecting a broader trend of student involvement in civic and community matters across educational institutions.

The SACS’ mission is to defend the rights of the school’s students, said Abdoullah Hajji, Information Officer & Co-spokesperson of the association, and many students are training at the school with the intention of becoming workers in Quebec’s public sector. So, supporting the Common Front is closely related to supporting their own.

Some students find the strikes to be a good cause and wish to support their professors, he went on. Some are disappointed they are missing classes. They know the professors are doing their best to finish the semester as best as they can.

Hajji emphasized SACS will always be there to support the Common Front in its efforts to improve the working conditions of its members.