20 May 2019
The Fédération du personnel de soutien scolaire (FPSS-CSQ), affiliated to the Centrale des syndicats du Québec (CSQ), is submitting a petition to the Quebec National Assembly today asking the Legault government to take measures that would provide support staff with a workplace free of violence.
This petition comes on the heels of a recent survey conducted by the FPSS-CSQ which revealed that during 2017-2018, 71% of the school support staff consulted have experienced violence on the job.
“Today is Education International’s (EI) World Education Support Personnel Day (ESP), and we are using this occasion to press the government, starting with the Prime Minster and the Minister of Education, to take action to provide our members with safe and healthy workplaces. Support staff already have to deal with working conditions that are all too often burdensome and difficult, without having to suffer violence as well,” says FPSS-CSQ President Éric Pronovost.
Concrete actions expected
Pronovost is hopeful that opposition parties in Quebec, including the Parti Québécois which has agreed to sponsor the petition through MNA Véronique Hivon, will pressure the CAQ government to do something about this problem.
“Our elected representatives in the National Assembly are always unanimous in condemning any form of violence, whatever it may be. That’s all very good, but we must do more to eliminate both verbal and physical violence, which are still too prevalent in all Quebec schools,” says Éric Pronovost.
An invitation to the Prime Minister and the Minister of Education
In closing, the President of the FPSS-CSQ is inviting François Legault and
Jean-François Roberge to immediately address the problem and make known what measures they intend to take to correct the situation. The FPSS-CSQ is also still waiting for a meeting with the Minister of Education to discuss this problem and other issues of concern to its members.