By Matthew McCully
Workers from the centre de la petite enfance (CPE) Panda daycare on the Bishop’s University campus were among thousands across Quebec to walk off the job on Monday amid frustration with collective agreement negotiations. Workers from unions represented by different federations intend to continue with strike action on different days this week, and by Thursday, unions could vote on an unlimited general strike.
According to union representatives from Panda, Roxanne Poisson and Nathalie Métivier, workers are concerned with salaries and pay equity within the different jobs at daycares including educators, office workers and food handlers. They are also pushing for planning days, support for children with special needs, and overall better working conditions to attract more employees to counter the current labour shortage.
