Sarah Rennie – LJI reporter

Unionized daycare workers braved the cold and walked off the job for a second time on February 6, after contract negotiations with the provincial government remained stalled following the start of strike action a week earlier.

Workers with the Kaleidoscope early childcare centre (CPE) in Hinchinbrooke took to the streets along with around 12,000 other members of the CSN-affiliated Fédération de la santé et des services sociaux (FSSS) to demand respectable salaries, reasonable workloads, and more support for children with special needs.

Workers from 51 CPEs across the Montérégie took part in protests in six locations. Those from Hinchinbrooke joined workers from Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, Vaudreuil-Soulanges, and the Haut-Saint-Laurent at a rally in Chateauguay.

The province is currently offering a 12.5-per cent salary increase over five years, despite having reached agreements for a higher rate with three other unions representing daycare workers. Talks have been ongoing for eight months. The union says that unless there is some movement at the table, the third of five possible strike days will take place on February 17.

Mélanie Bouchard, the regional vice-president of the FSSS, says that it is becoming increasingly challenging to recruit new workers under the present conditions. Sylvie Brunet, the union representative at Kaleidoscope, adds that recruitment and staffing issues are even more pressing in rural daycare centres.

Brunet says finding qualified workers is especially difficult as many are turning toward higher-paid positions within schools for employment. “We are the lowest-paid college diploma in Quebec,” she laments, while suggesting the starting salary at a CPE is not competitive.

“There are not many who come forward,” Brunet says, noting resumes are rare, and often those applying do not have any training. This adds to the workload, as new employees may need to be shadowed or mentored by more qualified staff.

“It is a great job, but right now, it is not working with the kids that is the hardest. It is everything around this, everything that is required, and all the paperwork,” Brunet explains.

The two sides are expected to meet for at least two negotiating days ahead of the February 17 strike. Brunet says she is hopeful that an agreement with the government will soon be reached. “From what I understand, they are just dragging their feet a bit.”