Northern Quebec school board staff set for 1-day walkouts

The unions representing teachers, school professional and support staff in northern Quebec Cree and Inuit communities say the provincial government is failing Indigenous students by not addressingchronic staffing and service shortages.

They have set two, one-day strike dates to protest lagging contract negotiations which have been going on for a year and a half.

"The needs in education in the northern communities are alarming," Larry Imbeault, president of the Association des employs du Nord Qubcois, which is part of the Centrale des syndicats du Quebec (AENQ-CSQ), said in a press release.

Employees with the Cree School Board will strike April 14 and their counterparts in Nunavik will walk off the job for one day on April 28.

"Services are insufficient. The shortage of teachers and support staff is profound. More than ever, we need measures to attract and retain workers," Imbeault said.

We need measures to attract and retain workers.- Larry Imbeault, president of the AENQ-CSQ

A key issue is that many local Indigenous workers are not eligible for housing and salary bonuses that non-Indigenous workers get, according to Imbeault.

"There is a discrepancy between Indigenous people and people from the South," he said, adding workers coming from the South get housing, while local workers often live in overcrowded conditions and pay higher rent.

Some perks not available for local workers

In 2001, the AENQ-CSQ also negotiated an attraction and retention bonus for teachers and professionals that wasn't available to support staff in Cree and Inuit territories, many of whom are local Indigenous workers.

"Even among the teachers, a lot of our Cree and Inuit colleagues do not meet the criteria so they're not entitled to the premium," he said, adding one of the unions' demands is for local Indigenous staff to receive a rent subsidy.

A spokesperson for Quebec's Education Ministry declined a request for comment, citing ongoing negotiations.

Housing a Cree School Board priority

The interim director general for the Cree School Board said she respects the workers exercising their legal right to protest.

She also said some Cree School Board employees who live more than 60 kilometres from their job are already eligible for staff housing at a cost of $250 a month for a four-bedroom house. It wasn't clear from the interview which employees, nor how many, were eligible for this benefit.

"We make every effort at the Cree School Board to help that way," said Caroline Mark, interim director general of the Cree School Board, in Cree.

She added that local band councils are also making real efforts to provide housing for any Cree who become teachers and start their jobs in a Cree community.

Lack of psychologists and social workers

Another key issue the unions want addressed is a lack of support services such as psychologists and social workers in the schools.

Jean-Claude Major speaks for the Syndicat des professionnelles et professionnels en milieu scolaire du Nord-Ouest (SPPMSNO-CSQ), which represents professionals working within the school boards in northwestern Quebec.

"There is no psychologist in the Cree School Board, no psycho-education and no facilitation for mental and emotional health. All of those jobs provide support and protection for the students, and they have not been put in place by the school board," he said.

Mark said there is a shortage of these professionals at the moment, making recruitment difficult.

"It's not because they are not welcome," she said in Cree. "In the past it was easier to recruit them and as our population grows, they are in demand," she said.

The unions said there is currently only one psychologist working in Nunavik'sKativik Ilisarniliriniqschool board and two social workers for the entireterritory of Nunavik, adding the shortages are putting undue pressure on teachers and leaving the students struggling.

"The government is delivering nice speeches on the importance of considering [Indigenous]realities and cultures, and their contribution to Quebec society," said Sonia Ethier, the president of the Centrale des syndicats du Qubec (CSQ).

"It must now move beyond words to actions and take concrete measures that go beyond wishful thinking."