Teachers rallied at the Quebec premier's office
The demonstration comes amid news of an imminent strike.
On Monday, Nov. 13, about 50 Montreal teachers marched to the office of Quebec provincial premier François Legault. They are part of the union Fédération autonome de l'enseignement (Autonomous Federation of Education), which begins a strike on November 23.
The demonstration aims to force Legault to influence the union's negotiations with the government.
"The premier can now play a key role in the outcome of these negotiations by making education his real priority, as he promised during the election campaign," the federation said in an official statement.
Protesters note that a formal strike notice will be filed today. The union's main goal is to reach an agreement that meets the many and pressing needs of teachers.
The key issue of the strike remains wages:
"Quebec teachers still earn a salary below the Canadian average, and it takes them three years longer than their colleagues in other provinces to reach the maximum salary scale."
Other issues the federation is looking at include work-life balance, personal work hours (allowing teachers to plan their curriculum), and small, balanced classes.
Before that, the last time Montreal teachers stood up for their rights on the streets of the city was back in 1982.
