Another wave of austerity is once again hitting Cégep de Saint-Laurent in Montreal. Unions and employees learned on April 9 that the French language program for immigrants would be cut at the end of the 2026 winter semester. Twelve workers will be laid off in this termination of services by the MIFI, the Ministry of Immigration, Francization and Integration.
The North Star spoke with Philippe Soucy, president of the Cégep de Saint-Laurent Professionals’ Union, for more details. He noted that the building is in such poor condition that classes must be held elsewhere, but that relocating the facilities did not meet the Ministry of Immigration’s standards. One of the reasons cited is accessibility and distance from the metro.
“Instead of relocating these people, instead of finding solutions at the current locations, they’re cutting the program.”
This is not the first time the CAQ government has made cuts to the francization program. In fact, at the end of 2024, a major wave of cuts to the francization program took place across Quebec, resulting in the layoff of more than 200 teachers, as reported by major media outlets and unions.
Soucy also links these cuts to the austerity measures implemented by the CAQ government in recent years—austerity that is intensifying as their term nears its end.
“This is also part of the cuts to French language training services on a broader level, and to austerity measures, because what they’re telling us is that the Ministry of Immigration was unable to guarantee funding for the program. ”
He also highlights the total lack of consultation with workers before addressing these issues:
“Of course, we don’t really understand why we weren’t consulted beforehand. We would have liked to propose solutions. Also, this really fits into the context of the Cégep’s building maintenance deficit. ”
The absurd condition of the buildings and numerous job cuts have resulted in an excessive workload and a decline in the quality of services provided to students. These issues have led several school workers to organize a response. A week-long student strike and a student occupation of Cégep Saint-Laurent also took place in opposition to the government’s actions.
Be part of the conversation!
Only subscribers can comment. Subscribe to The North Star to join the conversation under our articles with our journalists and fellow community members. If you’re already subscribed, log in.