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Published: November 6, 2023
More than 400,000 public sector workers in Quebec are scheduled to strike on Monday, meaning some services in schools and healthcare facilities across the province will be disrupted.
The unions in the Common Front alliance (CSN, CSQ, FTQ, and APTS) are heading to the picket line after rejecting the latest offer presented by the Legault government earlier this week.
Some workers in the health and social services sector, such as laboratory technicians, dietitians, physiotherapists, psychologists, and social workers, will also strike on Monday.
However, due to rules surrounding essential services, they will operate at reduced capacity rather than abandoning their duties completely.
Below is a breakdown of the numbers, according to the head of APTS (Alliance of Health and Social Services Professionals and Technical Employees), Robert Coiteux:
Mental health and youth protection:
Services at 70-85% - laboratories, medical imaging, and technical platforms:
Services at 80% - nutrition and rehabilitation services
General psycho-social services: Services at 70%
Emergency and intensive care will operate at normal levels.
Nurses are not part of this strike. Their union, the Quebec Federation of Nurses (FIQ) - not affiliated with the Common Front - instead voted for a strike on November 8 and 9.
CTV News also contacted health and social service centres (CISSS/CIUSSSs) across Montreal, Laval, and the Monteregie area, where most said the strike might slow down services on Monday.
One statement said: "We recognize and feel the impact this situation can have on users. Rest assured that we are working in cooperation with the unions and [the Ministry of Health] to minimize the effects of this strike on the population." CIUSSS du Nord-de-l'île-de-Montréal.
The Quebec Ministry of Health also issued a press release stating that “a coordination unit has been set up to ensure smooth operations.” It added that the unit will be in close contact with the health institution.
It confirmed that emergency and intensive care services will be provided as usual, adding that it has agreed with each facility that the minimum staffing level has been agreed upon with each establishment and that "the minimum percentage of staff will be present to provide essential services to the population."
Essential services will also be provided in the social service sectors, notably youth protection and mental health, as well as in all facilities providing accommodation and care for the elderly and individuals with special needs.
Some appointments may be postponed, especially those related to elective surgery, with facilities contacting patients who might be affected by these delays.
Primary and secondary schools:
Tens of thousands of teachers across Quebec will strike from midnight until 10:30 a.m. on Monday.
The situation may vary from school to school, as different teachers belong to different unions. But regarding English school boards in the Montreal area – EMSB, Lester B. Pearson, Sir Wilfrid Laurier, New Frontiers, Riverside – classes will start late in the morning or early afternoon, typically around 11 a.m.
The same applies to the French school service centres in the area: CSSDM, CSSMB, and CSSPI.
School buses will be cancelled in the morning and will resume in the afternoon.
The exception is buses operated by Transco, whose drivers launched a separate, indefinite strike on Tuesday.
Daycare:
Public daycare and childcare centres in Quebec (CPEs) will operate as usual on Monday.
But childcare services run through schools will not be available in the morning (most school boards say the service will resume for the after-school period).
Other services:
Other government services, such as provincial courts and the Automobile Insurance Board (SAAQ), are not expected to be affected by the strike.
The same applies to crown corporations like Hydro-Québec and the Société des alcools du Québec (SAQ).
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