Striking teachers in Quebec consider switching jobs rather than continuing fight for change

Sonia Bahl, a teacher from Quebec's Eastern Townships, is thinking about changing careers.

"I'm disgusted by my employer, the government," she said. "It's Monday, and I wrote to Mr. Legault that I would look for another job. It's not that I want to leave my profession — he doesn't want me to stay."

In the midst of ongoing strikes and negotiations between the Quebec government and various public-sector unions, the situation has taken a new turn as hundreds of teachers like Bahl contemplate throwing in the towel and leaving the profession altogether.

About 1,500 striking teachers attended a free, online workshop on Monday called "Building a future beyond education."

The session was led by Maude Trépanier, a former teacher who resigned in March after 25 years in the public education system.

"I was accused of being responsible for my students' failures," she said.

Fast to sign up, thousands show interest

Within 48 hours of announcing the training session, she said 900 people had registered, and more than 5,000 people had shown interest in the announcement on Facebook.

"I thought I was doing this only for my friends who were updating their resumés and didn't know exactly where to apply. But it went viral," said Trépanier.

During the session, she spoke about the "knowledge we have as teachers that is transferable," she said.

Teachers across Quebec with the Fédération autonome de l'enseignement (FAE) have been on an indefinite strike since Nov. 23, and they haven't been paid since they walked off the job.

Now, they are seeking ways to supplement their income, said Trépanier. However, others want to leave altogether, she added, as the strike has given them the push to say, "I've had enough of being treated with contempt."

"We shout it everywhere, on all platforms, through social media, the news, etc. But we are not heard."

Career shifts are growing

This shift in career focus is a concern for the public school system, already hit by a wave of resignations in recent years.

According to a 2014 study commissioned by Quebec's Ministry of Education, half of teachers leave the profession within the first five years.

Since the beginning of the FAE strike, which has now lasted for four weeks, there have been one to two resignations per school, according to Kathleen Legault, who heads the Association montréalaise des directions d'établissement scolaire (AMDE).

The AMDE works to defend and develop the education profession. Legault said those one to two resignations per school include all different staff, not just teachers.

Often, it's part-time staff who have found another job, she said. But if the agreement with the government is not satisfactory for teachers, others will leave, she predicted.

Many teachers on picket lines feel that the government is not serious, and that their profession is not recognized at its true value, she said. Legault said many in the profession are now asking what they can do with their four-year degree.

The fact that many are asking that question is worrisome, she said, because there is already a staff shortage in schools.

"We can't afford to lose qualified and experienced teachers," said Legault.

According to Simon Viviers, a professor at Université Laval's school of counselling and orientation, there is currently a professional exodus.

He said people are leaving education because there is a lack of resources to help struggling students. There is also violence and disrespect in schools that is turning teachers away, he added.

A teacher blows her horn as demonstrators create a smoke screen to protest Quebec's Bill 23 back in June. (Jacques Boissinot/The Canadian Press)

According to preliminary data from a survey done by the province's public health institute, 62 per cent of primary and secondary school teachers experience psychological distress.

And while some may quit, others resign silently, withdrawing from their job even if they are showing up for work — applying themselves as little as possible, Viviers said.

While strikes were continuing Monday, the common front — a multi-union coalition known as Front commun in French that is pushing for better working conditions in the public health and education sectors — announced it is open to exploring various scenarios with the Coalition Avenir government.

On behalf of the common front, Maxime Clément told Radio-Canada by email that the coalition's openness is specifically with regard to the duration of the collective agreement.

However, union negotiators simultaneously expressed the need for guaranteed inflation protection and a certain enrichment for their 420,000 members.

Josée Scalabrini, head of the teachers' union known by the acronym FSE which represents about 95,000 members, said on Sunday that it is possible to reach an agreement by Dec. 23.

As for the Fédération interprofessionnelle de la santé du Québec (FIQ), a health-workers' union, it led a third strike sequence lasting four days in mid-December.

The FIQ, which represents 80,000 health professionals (90 per cent of whom are women), rejected by a margin of 99 per cent of the new government salary offer at the beginning of the month.

Treasury Board President Sonia LeBel said on Monday that the pace of negotiations is picking up.