National education support staff day: a required acknowledgement

MONTRÉAL, Sept. 30, 2021 /CNW Telbec/ - All over Québec, every year since 1999, the fourth Thursday of September, National education support staff day is celebrated.

« Tested since the beginning of this pandemic, as many employees have been, the tens of thousands of support staff who perform essential tasks on a daily basis, throughout various schools, cegeps and universities have had to show a resilience and the capacity to adapt, like no other, which should be to their credit and deserves to be highlighted. » asserts from the outset, Stéphanie Gratton, Interim President of the Fédération des employées et employés de services publics (FEESP-CSN).

Employees who make a difference in spite of all the challenges they must face

Whether it is administrative support, building maintenance, or direct service to the students, these vital duties, which are often performed in the shadows, make all the difference in the field. However, as underlined by the President of the Cegep Support staff of the FEESP-CSN, Martine Moreau, the challenges are numerous, particularly where it concerns staff retention and workload. 

« Staff attraction and retention in the cegeps is becoming more and more difficult, notably due to inadequate pay in many categories and this, in spite of the last round of negotiations in the public sector. Additionally, the job instability, mainly caused by seasonal lay-offs and growing use of temporary employees, only accentuate the pressure put on the employees in posts whereby the workload hasn't stopped increasing since the pandemic began », attests Mrs. Moreau.

Existing problems exacerbated by the pandemic

We hear the same story from the support staff at the elementary and high school levels of the school sector, whereby there is a massive shortage of personnel in order to fill the vacant posts despite the desperate need in the field.

« Whether it be in the daycare, special education or the general sectors in the school boards, including the maintenance support staff, we have noticed a generalized shortage of staff which has persisted for years, which the pandemic has come along to aggravate. What with the disinfectant protocols, which have become permanent, the daily risk of outbreaks, and more recently, the deployment of rapid screening tests, the increase in workload has become a daily reality for the staff working in the schools and the school service centres and school boards. » adds Annie Charland, President of the School Sector of the FEESP-CSN. 

Support staff at Concordia University : a similar reality

At Concordia University, where the support staff shortages continue to rule in spite of a growing number of students, professors and departments, the reality is no better. 

« Rather than considering our support staff as a valuable institutional repository of knowledge and experience, Concordia University sees the support staff as a cost to cut. It is deplorable, denounces the President of the Concordia University Union of Support Staff - Technical Sector (CUUSS-TS–CSN), Jaime Yeargans. This lack of vision always leads to more work for the staff and degraded support for the entire community. The support of FEESP-CSN will continue to be invaluable to Concordia support staff as we struggle through this hybrid pandemic situation with all the anxiety that it entails. »

Essential more than ever

Within this particular context, the FEESP-CSN would like to, once again, pay homage for the immense work performed daily by some 42,000 members, who without, the school, cegep and university facilities could not offer all their services to the Québec school children and students.  « Thank you for your resilience, professionalism and your daily diligence. You are all indeed essential more than ever! », concludes Stéphanie Gratton.

Let us remember that the national education support staff day was established in 1999 by the unions affiliated to the Fédération des employées et employés de services publics (FEESP-CSN).  This day serves to shine the spotlight on the thousands of women and men, who, every day, arrive on scene to carry out essential tasks toward the smooth operation of the Québec service centres, school boards, cegeps and universities.

About us

The FEESP-CSN represents more than 35,000 members in 33 school service centres, & school boards, close to 6,000 members in 34 cegeps and approximately 640 members at Concordia University, notably, office agents, caretakers, daycare educators, special education technicians, data processing technicians, lab technicians, attendants for handicapped pupils and school & executive secretaries. 

Globally, it consolidates 425 affiliated unions representing more than 65,000 union workers in the public and parapublic sectors.

SOURCE Fédération des employées et employés de services publics (FEESP-CSN)

Jason Brochu-Valcourt, Cell. : 438 989-3220, [email protected]

Related Links

https://feesp.csn.qc.ca/