EXCERPTS
The Centres de la petite enfance educators met at the Olympic Stadium on Saturday, and voted with a 95-per-cent majority for the strike mandate.
They are hoping the pressure tactics will help relaunch negotiations to renew their collective bargaining agreement that expired more than two years ago.
Among the sticking points are salary increases, pension contributions, group insurance benefits and service offered to the children in their care. The educators say they are frustrated by the offers so far proposed, said Dany Lecasse, the vice-president of the Fédération de la santé et des services sociaux de la CSN.
"There is too much difference between both sides, and it's not possible to come to a better conclusion without exerting more pressure," he said. "Too many clawbacks have already been asked of our members."
If there is a strike, there will be no daycare service on the days of the strike because daycares are not considered to be an essential service in the province.
Other CPE workers are also expected to vote in the coming days whether to give their unions a strike mandate.
-reprinted from Montreal Gazette