Nunavik teachers set to strike starting Jan. 16

Union picketing will affect four school days as negotiations with Nunavik school board drag on

Kativik Ilisarniliriniq teachers across Nunavik are set for a short-term strike starting Jan. 16. (Photo by Cedric Gallant)

By Cedric Gallant - Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The union representing Nunavik school teachers is planning a strike that will affect four school days starting Jan. 16, as negotiations for a new contract have dragged on for more than two years.

After more than 30 bargaining sessions since October 2022, negotiations are at an impasse, said Larry Imbeault, president of the Association of Employees in Northern Quebec.

The union is trying to negotiate two separate contracts for staff at Kativik Ilisarniliriniq — one for the teachers and another for support staff such as education technicians, he said.

Association of Employees of Northern Quebec president Larry Imbeault speaks at a rally in front of Kativik Ilisarniliriniq’s head office in April 2021. (File Photo)

Imbeault said talks for a new teachers’ contract have seen “no improvement at all,” which prompted the union to call for a strike.

On Dec. 18, a majority of both the teachers and support staff voted to give the union a strike mandate. In an interview Monday, Imbeault confirmed the strike, which will only involve the teachers, will run from Jan 16 at 11 a.m. until Jan 21 at 11 a.m.

On Dec. 20, the union called for conciliation in which Quebec’s labour ministry would appoint a neutral negotiator to help bring the two sides closer to an agreement.

“Quebec’s treasury secretary must realize that there needs to be more investments in Nunavik’s education, for that education to be at the same level as in the south,” Imbeault said in an interview, speaking in French.

“If they want to attract people to work in the North, there needs to be more money.”

For teachers, Imbeault points to two priorities in negotiations —improving staff bonuses, which have not been updated since 2001; and ensuring sufficient water is available in staff housing.

“When the teacher has not had water for three or four days, you have not washed yourself, to then go teach — it’s not easy,” he said.

He wants to ensure improvements are made to alleviate water supply issues for teachers’ housing.

In negotiations for a new support staff contract, Imbeault said priorities include improvements to bonuses and gaining the ability to work from home, which they currently can’t do.

“These are major issues that the employer is totally closed to,” he said, adding those negotiations have also included about 30 bargaining sessions.

“We did not want to [strike],” he said. “But we do not have a choice, it is our ultimate means to have our demands advance.”

Imbeault said there will be picket lines set up in front of schools in Nunavik.

Nunatsiaq News contacted both Kativik Ilisarniliriniq declined to comment on the negotiations or about how a strike would affect its schools. Quebec’s Treasury Secretary had not responded to a request for an interview about the talks.

 

Share This Story

(7) Comments:

  1. Posted by Reader on

    The municipality has a lot to do with the services. Since everybody rely on them to do the services. They have to provide service for whole village. Everybody is effected by it , It is a ‘domino effect’.
    Part of it is :
    Lack of workers –
    Workers = certified mechanics, drivers and helpers who are punctual.
    Some villages vary with challenges but it all comes in different waves during the different seasons.

    some occasion- parts not in town and have to be flown in but mother nature is boss .

    might be something to look at is getting own water and sewage truck to help up with the demand but need to have proper facilities to provide it.

    stay strong folks long days come and go.

    8
    3
  2. Posted by Nunavik watches on

    Perfect the curriculum model doesn’t work anyway but time to party with some nasty teachers , and perfect for recover from sickness from holidays events

    1
    15
  3. Posted by bewildered on

    Imbeault points to two priorities in negotiations —improving staff bonuses, which have not been updated since 2001; and ensuring sufficient water is available in staff housing. So says he. They receive a cargo bonus where they can order food and other essentials from the south and have those items flown in. There are teachers, both white and Inuit that order 4, 5, 6 and or more 24 cases of beer and have those shipped into a community where each individual has to go through the local police station to get authorization to have beer, wine or liquor flown into the communities. These communities have by laws that must be followed by everyone. But, there is a loop hole that K.I. is allowed to order beer, wine or liquor and have these illegal items flown into the community. I have seen 8 cases of 24 beers being unloaded off of AIR INUIT cargo flights for those employees of K.I. The more they get, the more they want.
    Now the union is using the excuse as insufficient water deliverers to the teachers households. They (newer teachers from the south) have to understand that due to mother nature, the blizzard conditions and during the melting of the snow and ice, the water supplies that are being delivered will not be delivered on a daily basis because of the zero visibility due to blizzard conditions that can last for 5, 6 and even 7 days. How do they expect the town municipality water truck, sewerage truck and garbage truck drivers to make these deliveries when the roads are drifted over with 1 – 2 meters of snow. Stop placing the blame on the insufficient water to the teachers houses. Whereas the teachers from the south has running water on a daily basis whereas the Nunavik communities (most) do not have water pipelines within the community. Suckit up buttercups. Suck it up. Welcome to Arctic Quebec.

    8
    8
    • Posted by No on

      Bad weather is not the root cause of the poor performance of public services in Nunavik.

    • Posted by Tired on

      “Conditions for employees in some communities have …”

      “HAVE YOU STOPPED THE BEER? THE PROBLEM IS BEER.”

  4. Posted by andrew on

    when I worked for KI, the on-boarding told new teachers that their housing units will have priority over community members.

    5
    7
    • Posted by 867 on

      So locally hired support staff without qualification should be prioritized to get staff housing over qualified teachers and nurses!? (Facepalm)

      9
      2

Join the Conversation

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*