Teachers at EC Montreal Language School prepare negotiations this week for better working conditions.
Staff at EC Montreal Language School have unionised in pursuit of better pay and working hours, according to The General Union.
At the end of July, employees of EC Montreal filed a petition for certification with the Tribunal administratif du travail, with majority support. A living wage, regular working hours and smaller class sizes are just some of the things staff are fighting for.
This week, staff received certification from the Tribunal and are preparing to negotiate a new deal. The Union says teachers’ goals are not just to combat the ongoing cost of living crisis in Quebec, but to ‘improve the teachers’ ability to provide high quality education for their students’.
‘It’s not simply about better wages,’ says ESL teacher Mariella Gaffrey. ‘It’s about creating a better, durable working model for everyone.’
EC Montreal is the oldest private language school in Canada. Today, EC have 15 schools across five countries, employing over 700 staff and teaching more than 40,000 students.
ESL teacher, Sean Kathan, says all teachers ‘deserve a say in our working conditions’:
‘I look forward to the improvements we can bring about through our collective voice. I hope that every language school employee in Montreal can be part of a union that represents their interests, and build a better future for both our students and my fellow teachers.’
