Last-minute agreement in principle staves off public daycare strike in Montreal, Laval

Dozens of publicly-funded daycare centres (CPEs) in Montreal and Laval have avoided a strike scheduled for next week after their union and its employer reached a last-minute agreement in principle Thursday afternoon. 

The strike would have affected 60 CPEs that operate 83 facilities throughout the region. 

The workers are represented by the Syndicat des travailleuses des Centre de la petite enfance CPE de Montréal et de Laval, which is part of the Confédération des syndicats nationaux (CSN) — one of the largest labour federations in the province.

The union's employer — the Association patronale nationale des CPE (APNCPE) — said despite the tentative agreement reached at a conciliation meeting Thursday, it was "bitterly disappointed by the union's total lack of openness to resolve anything related to management issues," according to a news release issued later that evening. 

Earlier this month, the union voted in favour of a 10-day strike mandate to be exercised at the appropriate time. Four strike days had been scheduled to start next Tuesday.

The union accused its employer of refusing to apply the agreement reached between the Quebec government and the majority of employers' associations last December.

However, the APNCPE said it was not at the provincial negotiating table at that time, deciding instead to negotiate a separate collective agreement for the region.

Still at issue are three clauses covering scheduling and organization, including the length of the work week, job descriptions and hiring practices.