Quebec teacher strikes: A breakdown of planned strike dates

Quebec teachers are coordinating strike dates for the next sixweeks as contract negotiations with the provincial government continue to stall.

The province'steachers have been without a contract since April 1. The provincial governmentis offering civil servants a two-year salary freeze followed by a 1per cent increase per year over three years.

• Quebec unions hold surprise protest action in downtown Montreal
• French-language teachers' strike gives 275,000 students day off
• Quebec public-sector workers to strike starting Oct. 26

Here's a breakdown of planned strike dates:

• Lester B. Pearson School Board teachers will be on strike Oct. 29, as well as Nov. 16 and 17. Support staff have also voted in favour of two rotating strike days, starting with one onNov. 4.
• Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Board have opted to strike on the same days and will also hold walkouts for three consecutive days in December. Teachers will strikeDec.1, 2 and3 pending on the outcome of contract negotiations.
• Teachers atJohn Abbott College share the same six strike dates as both Sir Wilfrid Laurierand Lester B. Pearson school boards.
• The South Shore's Riverside School Board will have strikes on Oct. 28, Nov. 12 and 13. Teachers will also strike Dec. 1, 2 and3 in line with a massive public-sector walkout.
• TheFdration autonome de l'enseignement, the union that represents over 34,000 French-language teachers across the province, will also hold three rotating strikes onOct. 26, 27 and 28.
• The dates for French-language teachers are divided by region.West Island teachers will strike on Oct. 26, Laval teachers on Oct. 27 and Montreal teachers on Oct. 28.
• The Montreal Teachers Association, theunion representing all teachers working for the English Montreal School Board,hasconfirmed one strike date so far,Oct.29.
• The Front commun, a coalition of Quebec labour federations, is also holding a series of strike days, starting the week of Oct. 26.

Main points of contention in the negotiations:

• Province wants to increaseteacher-student ratio.
• Province wants to eliminateallocated funds toward schools' programs for special-needs children.
• Province wants to cut 800 resource-teacher and special-education teacher jobs.
• A salary freeze for two years (the teachers are asking for 13.5 per cent over three years).
• Cuts to employee pension plans.