Twelve school support workers in the Mille-Îles region have lost their jobs following the application of Quebec’s Act to strengthen secularism in the education system, and their union fears more dismissals could follow.
The terminations occurred at the Centre de services scolaire des Mille-Îles (CSSMI), which recently sent letters to support staff requiring them to comply with the legislation within five to seven working days, depending on the case, or face dismissal.
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“First of all, it’s appalling on a human level to force women to choose between their livelihood and their personal beliefs,” says Annie Charland, president of the FEESP-CSN’s School Support Sector. “Tackling proselytism is one thing. Throwing women out on the street, workers who take care of our children with heart and conviction, without the slightest remorse and without thinking about the impacts, is a gesture that one would think was taken by companies like Amazon, not by the Quebec government and school service centres!”
The Fédération des employées et employés de services publics (FEESP-CSN), which represents support staff across Quebec, says these are the first reported cases tied to the current compliance process, but warns that other school service centres are now taking similar steps.
Union representatives say they had proposed solutions aimed at limiting the impact of the law on employees already working in schools. Instead, they argue, experienced workers are being shown the door, a situation they say affects not only staff, but also students and families who rely on their daily support.
“But, in addition to the human drama that is being played out, by acting in this way, the CSSMI risks provoking a crisis,” added Annie Charland. “For the moment, we’re talking about a few schools, part of the CSSMI and it already affects 12 employees who each take care of 20 to 45 children, depending on the context. We are therefore talking about 240 to 540 children for whom we need to find new workers. It’s already difficult to hire in this sector at the start of the school year… In the middle of winter, forget it! Either the burden will fall on colleagues who are already at the end of their rope, or we will fall into a break in service. I would like the CAQ ministers to explain this to parents; that they have to pick up their child for dinner.”
The FEESP-CSN is urging Education Minister Sonia LeBel to step in, reassess how the law is being implemented, and work toward measures that reduce harm to school communities.
“We had warned the ministries concerned that the application of the Act would be a problem,” said Frédéric Brun, president of the FEESP-CSN, “That it would lead to many employees leaving and that it would cause breaks in services. But, as with many other issues that touch on fundamental rights, the CAQ is heading headlong into a wall. A government cannot make changes to society on a whim. It takes reflection, debate, preparation and a long period of adaptation. Children are even told that this kind of behaviour is unacceptable, that you can’t isolate or set apart people in the group for their differences. Talk about an example.”
