Champlain Lennoxville and Eastern Township School Board unions hold “human chain” rally, FAE union unlimited strike raises questions

By William Crooks

Local Journalism Initiative

A significant demonstration occurred in Lennoxville on Wednesday, Nov. 22, as members of three unions from Champlain College Lennoxville and two unions from the Eastern Township School Board (ETSB), all affiliated with the Centrale des Syndicats du Québec (CSQ) and the Common Front public sector union group, formed a “human chain”.

This event, which lasted from 10 a.m. to noon, centered around Lennoxville’s main intersection at College and Queen, and saw hundreds of local school staff waving placards and operating noise-makers to the supportive honking of cars passing by.

A separate teacher’s union, the Fédération Autonome de l’Enseignement (FAE), which represents 65,000 members who work in the French school system, has announced plans for an unlimited strike Nov. 23. ETSB schools Sutton Elementary, Massey-Vanier High School and Campus Brome-Missisquoi vocational training centre are jointly administered by the Centre de services scolaire Val-des-cerfs, which is part of the FAE. ETSB staff have said they will not cross the picket line at those schools, which will mean additional service disruptions at those three locations.

According to a press release, the human chain was a part of the Common Front’s initiative, designed to showcase the collective strength and resolve of the educators and staff in protecting and advocating for the education and higher education sectors in the Lennoxville region. This public display of solidarity was particularly poignant as the union members had previously agreed upon a strike mandate to be utilized during the ongoing public sector negotiations. The days of Nov. 21, 22, and 23 marked the second series of strike actions under this mandate, signaling a crucial phase in their collective bargaining efforts.