The poor working conditions of early childhood educators are responsible for the shortage of places in the daycare services, unions and organizations. To understand – a little – the consequences, I took a day of “leave” to take care of the child of my friends whose CPE was on strike. It was not easy.
“We go to Normanville Park with Anne-So,” exclaims Elio from the age of two (or 28 months for people who prefer this measurement scale), when I install it in his stroller.
It’s 9 a.m. on Monday morning. The Early Childhood Center (CPE) that he frequents is on strike, like 399 others across Quebec.
The educators of the Federation of Health and Social Services (FSSS), affiliated with the CSN, held their 11th day of strike on April 14. The union represents almost 80% of CPEs in the province.
They are thus 13,000 workers to press Quebec to improve their working conditions.
“The negotiation between the union and the government has been in intensive phase since the end of last week, but there is no agreement that was concluded,” said Tuesday to 24 hours The union advisor to communications at the Federation of Health and Social Services (FSSS-CSN).
The strike continued until Wednesday, but it could stretch. A month ago, 91% of workers from the FSSS-CSN CPEs voted in favor of a mandate that could go as far as the unlimited general strike.
Parents may have to use even more skill to ensure the custody of their children.
It is here that the friend (me) arrives in the equation.
Leave the network
Arriving at the park, Elio crosses some friends from the daycare who, like him, must take care as best. It must be said that parents of 50,000 children are affected by the labor conflict.
“I want to go to the pool,” asks the toddler to me.
He speaks here of an installation of water games acting as a paddling pool for toddlers, which we imagine dry in the middle of April.
You have to “pretend”, therefore. Simulate splashes, jets that you get down, water in the eyes, wet hair, but not laughter. The smiles are very real. I have the impression that the day is already well started, that I did my work.
But it is only 9:25 a.m.
“I can understand all the depression and burn orT in the CPEs, it’s non-stop, “says a mother adorned with a baby in a baby carrier. His son Édouard, approximately 3 years old, keeps crying to go home.
Since 2021, 28,354 places subsidized in daycare have been created by the Ministry of the Family.
“It’s good, but many workers have also decided to leave the network. Current working conditions are jeopardizing the sustainability of educational childcare services to childhood, “said the director general of the organization my place at work, Marylin Dion.
-Last year, nearly 4,000 educators deserted the early childhood to change career.
“Each day, 10 educators on average leave the network,” sums up Ms. Dion. It makes sure that there is a shortage of labor and no succession. Two CEGEPs in Quebec no longer offer the childhood education technique, for lack of inscriptions. ”
Result: a little more than 27,000 children are still awaiting a place.
A story of women
Today, that’s my job: take care of a two -year -old child, whom I know, whom I love, my young friend Elio.
When I see groups of a daycare – which is not on strike – landing in the park, I think of the salary of those who take care of the children of others, and the number of toddlers that they must manage.
The holders of technical training in early childhood are currently starting their career at $ 21.60 per hour. At the last step, they will earn $ 30.03 for an hour of work.
The bonus granted to educators affiliated to the CSQ, which has just been concluded with the government, provides for a salary of $ 25.15 per hour at the start of the scale.
This is an increase of 17.4% over five years, as for the rest of the state employees.
But what the FSSS-CSN workers are asking for is a catch-up of the gap between the CPEs and the rest of the public sector.
A position of childcare technician in schools offers, for example, $ 27.07 per hour from the first year. The salary increases $ 36.14 per hour at the last step.
“As too often, when the time comes to agree with female workplaces, the government is dragging its feet,” said CSN president Caroline Senneville, in a statement released last week.
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The workforce of educational childcare services for childhood is 99% female, according to the council of women’s status. And it is they, observed in the park on Monday, who play, push, water, catch, spend, console and feed the next generation of Quebec.
The others, like me, who took a day of “leave” to help the parents of the CPEs on strike, are mothers, grandmothers, aunts, cousins or neighbors.
Over fifteen adults present at the Normanville park on Monday, only one was a man.
“The impact of the shortage of labor in childcare services is really more significant for women. They are the ones who take prolonged leave at the end of their maternity. They are the ones who take care of finding a place in daycare. And in the event of a strike, they are the ones who take leave and live with the loss of income, ”said Marylin Dion from my place to work.
“This negotiation is not only between a union and a government,” she continues. It is a fight for the future of our CPE network. You cannot open places if there are no staff. ”
