An agreement in principle has been reached with the Treasury Board Secretariat by two unions, the Federation of Teachers’ Unions (FSE-CSQ) and the Independent Teachers’ Federation (FAE).
The situation was rather complex and did not affect all the teachers who wanted to start a family, only those whose first 21 weeks of maternity leave fell during the summer holidays.
Under the collective agreement, school service centers can deduct an amount from vacation pay payments of teachers who receive payments from the Quebec Parental Insurance Plan (QPIP).
The agreement with the Treasury Board therefore provides that this article will be a thing of the past, starting in the summer of 2022 if the members of the two organizations adopt it.
It is the recognition of an inequity that was clearly presented during the negotiations [de la convention collective] and finally, it gives back to the teachers because they are the ones who suffer the inequity
emphasizes Sylvain Mallette, President of the FAE.
This approach does justice to all teachers and future mothers after 15 years of battle
indicates in turn Josée Scalabrini, of the FSE-CSQ.
Both the FAE and the FSE salute the work of the President of the Treasury Board in this file. (archives)
Photo: Radio-Canada
Summer pay and QPIP
It’s that the teachers are paid for 200 days. So each week, they are paid a little less, to have a pay that comes in during the eight weeks of summer
summarizes Josée Scalabrini.
During maternity leave, teachers are entitled to payments from the Québec Parental Insurance Plan (QPIP). These are therefore the summer pay and QPIP who were in conflict.
The workers lost hours for which they had worked
points out Sylvain Mallette of the FAE.
The current collective agreement allows the deferral of payments for four weeks of summer vacation, out of a total of eight. So for those who are on maternity leave for the whole summer, it’s a good four weeks of work that they don’t get, but that the other workers get.
adds Josée Scalabrini.
Excerpt from the article in question in the two collective agreements
[…] When a teacher on maternity leave receives, for one or more weeks included in her annual vacation, benefits from the QPIP or employment insurance, an amount equal to what she has thus received is deducted (if this has not already been done), in equal parts, from the salary payments scheduled for the period of the deferred vacation.
About $900 per week
A teacher from Wickham in Centre-du-Québec found herself in this situation last year, during maternity leave for her second child.
I gave birth in the summer, so it was during the first 21 weeks of payment of the QPIP to which is added the employer’s payment
says Cécile Vigneault. I lost four weeks at 70% of my salary.
According to his calculations, that represents nearly $900 per week, before taxes, which was not paid to him.
The agreement with the government does not provide feedback for teachers who have suffered this inequity. Cécile Vigneault is still happy for her colleagues.
It’s a big step forward. It is simply the fair return of things for the future. It’s money that belongs to you because you earned it
she says.
It should be mentioned that the situation could also have affected certain teachers and fathers. However, in their case, there is an option and that is not to benefit from the RAQP during the summer, therefore postponing the paternity leave to another time
explains Sylvain Mallette of the FAE.
In writing, the Treasury Board Secretariat specifies that these agreements follow up on a commitment made by the government during the last negotiations which aimed to resolve a problem specific to female teachers and the period for taking maternity leave
.
The Secretariat declined to comment further. out of respect for the ongoing union process
.
Reference-ici.radio-canada.ca