Here's how this week's school strikes will play out in western Quebec - Action News
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Here's how this week's school strikes will play out in western Quebec

Public sector workers will once again return to the picket lines in the Outaouaisthis week as widespread labour unrest continues in Quebec. Here's how it might affect you.

Some schools preparing to close indefinitely, some health-care delays expected

A group of people hold French-language signs outdoors on a sunny day.
Members of the Syndicat des professionnelles en soins de l'Outaouais rally during a one-day public sector strike earlier this month. They'll be returning to the picket lines again this week barring a last-minute change. (Mateo Garcia-Tremblay/Radio-Canada)

Public sector workers are once again poised to return to the picket lines in the Outaouaisthis week as widespread labour unrest continues in Quebec.

Teachers, nurses, health-care workers, junior college professors and otheremployees say they will all be on strike at various times over the next few days, barring a last-minute deal or other change.

Broadly speaking, they're calling for better pay and working conditions. This week's job action comes on the heels of a one-day strike earlier this month.

There are three different groups of unions to know about, each with different plans:

  1. Employeesassociated with an umbrella group of unions that'scome to be known as the Front communare looking towalk off the job Tuesday, Wednesday andThursday.
  2. Health-care workers, including school nurses, associated with the Fdration interprofessionnelle de la sant du Qubec(FIQ) plan to strike Thursday and Friday.
  3. Many teachers affiliated with theFdration autonome de l'enseignement(FAE) are eyeing astrike starting Thursday. It's unclear how long they will be off the job as they have not set an end date.

Here's a look at how some services in the Outaouais could be affected during the labour disruptions.

School service centres and boards

All five school service centres and boards serving the Outaouais will be suspending mostactivities on Tuesday.

The Portages-de-l'Outaouais, Draveurs andCur-des-Vallesservice centressay they will be indefinitelysuspending classes and daycares starting Tuesday.

The other two, Hauts-Bois-de-l'Outaouais and the Western Qubec School Board (WQSB), are only pausing classes, daycareand transportation during the three-day common front strike.

Their teachers are notaffiliated with the FAE, so operations should return to normal by Friday. For the WQSB, that means a PD dayto end the school week.

Demonstators hold signs at a protest outside Collge de Maisonneuve.
Demonstators hold signs at a public workers' protest outside Collge de Maisonneuve in Montreal Nov. 6. (Jennifer Yoon/CBC)

CEGEPs

The CEGEP de l'Outaouais willcloseduring the three-day disruption as most of its employees arewith unions belonging to the common front.

A spokesperson told Radio-Canada classes and internshipswill run as usual on Monday and Friday.

CEGEPHeritage College has not shared any information nor replied to a Radio-Canada request for information. Its employees did walk off the job during the previous strike on Nov. 6.

Health services

In a French-language statement Friday, theCentre intgr de sant et de services sociaux de l'Outaouais(CISSSO), western Quebec's health authority,said emergency departments and intensive care units would not be affected by strikes.

However, they would "undoubtedly lead to a slowdown" in some less essential areas of care, CISSSO said.

Partsof theFront communhave members intheCentre intgr de sant et de services sociaux de l'Outaouais(CISSSO), western Quebec's health authority.

Members of theSyndicat des professionnelles en soins de l'Outaouaisare part of FIQ.

CISSSO added Monday that some services may have to close early and the organization askspeople with non-urgent blood tests to postpone them during the strikes.