Nunavik teachers, union reach agreement in principle

The Kativik Ilisarniliriniq’s head office in Kuujjuaq. After two and a half years of negotiations, Nunavik’s teachers and school board reached an agreement in principle Jan. 24. (FILE PHOTO)

Nunavik’s schools appear to have avoided a strike, with the teachers’ union and school board reaching an agreement in principle on Wednesday, Jan. 24.

The Association of Employees of Northern Quebec, or AENQ, represents Nunavik’s roughly 300 teachers, who have been without a contract since March 2015.

The union said it met with Kativik Ilisarniliriniq officials Jan. 18 when talks broke down.

Although the school board had improved its offer on one of the union’s priority issues—dedicated and increased funding to support Nunavik students with special needs—the union said the offer wasn’t adequate.

The AENQ filed a notice on Jan. 19 that teachers would strike beginning Jan. 31 if no agreement was reached.

But union and school board officials sat down for further talks this week, resulting in an agreement in principle signed late Jan. 24.

The AENQ declined to comment on the agreement until it’s been presented to union delegates, and then to members, who will vote on the agreement early next week.

Nunavik’s teachers were the last employees in Quebec’s education sector to finalize their 2015-2020 collective agreements, which include a 4.5 per cent salary increase a year over a three-year period.

In December, the AENQ reached an agreement in principle with the KI’s support staff, while another union representing school board professionals signed its own agreement in principle in mid-December.