Thousands of Quebec teachers vote for 5-day strike mandate

Teachers at Anglophone school boardsin Quebec have voted in favour of a five-day strike their union says could be held as soon as "the time is right."

The mandate obtained by the Quebec Provincial Association of Teachers (QPAT), which represents8,000 teachers, follows a similar move by its French-language equivalent, the Centrale des syndicats du Qubec (CSQ).

Both unions say the provincial government isn't providing teachers enough support to do their jobs under strained conditions made worse by the pandemic.

"The needs are so great in schools and centres that teachers are frustrated and have sent a very clear message," said QPAT president Heidi Yetman in a news release sent Monday.

"They want working conditions that enable them to do their job and meet the students' great needs, but negotiations have led nowhere. The government needs to hear us."

Among the demands, the union says teachers want smaller classes, more services for students with learningdifficulties, higher wages and betterjob security.

In a news release of its own, the CSQsaid the pandemic has shone a light on the "system's incapacity to respond to needs."

The labour leaderssay they are willing to collaborate in their negotiations with the government. But that hasn't stopped the union representing 3,000 Montreal teachersfrom demanding Education Minister Jean-Franois Roberge's resignation.

Roberge has taken that call to resign and the strike mandatesin stride, and told reportersat an event last weekthat "I feel like (teachers) are eager to conclude a deal, it's been almost a year since the collective agreement ran out."