Teachers’ union rejects government offer, vows to maintain pressure tactics

MONTREAL – The Fédération autonome de l’enseignement (FAE), an umbrella group representing 34, 000 teachers in Quebec, announced Friday that teachers would continue pressure tactics after rejecting the provincial government’s Dec. 21 offer to increase salaries.

In a telephone interview, Nathalie Morel with the FAE told Global News that teachers had overwhelmingly rejected the proposed salary hike.

The rejected deal would have seen teachers get a 5.25 per cent salary increase over five years.

According to Morel, 5.25 per cent is insufficient to maintain buying power and as such would lead to the impoverishment of teachers.

The union is asking for 13.5 per cent over three years.

READ MORE: FAE teachers’ union protests budget cuts in Montreal

Another sticking point is the readjustment of salaries to reduce wage disparities between different classes of workers.

According to Morel, government reports show that teachers are entitled to an upwards readjustment of their salaries.

In a written statement, the union said the government was refusing to readjust wages that teachers are entitled to, because there are too many teachers and it would cost too much.

Following this week’s cabinet shuffle, the FAE hopes Pierre Moreau, the new education minister, will be part of the next round of negotiations.

Until then, teachers will continue pressure tactics, including refusing to participate in unpaid extra-curricular activities.

There are no strikes planned in the near future. Morel said the current round of pressure tactics are aimed at the teachers employers, including school principals, school boards and the government.