DECEMBER 3, 2021 | No. 19 | THE BEST POSSIBLE AGREEMENT IN PRINCIPLE The agreement in principle reached by the government and the APTS was approved by over 81% of delegates to the General Council on November 26. You’ll be voting on this agreement at a series of special general assemblies before the holidays, and the General Council’s recommendation is that you adopt it. This agreement is the next step to achieving a new collective agreement for you. We’ve gone as far as we can in the collective bargaining process to improve your working conditions through concrete gains. While no agreement in principle is perfect, overall, this is a good one. That said, the health and social services system has huge needs in terms of labour power, and the measures in the agreement will not be sufficient to meet those needs. | Special general assemblies before Christmas A notice of meeting will be sent to you no later than December 8 so that you can vote on the agreement in principle at one of the special general assemblies that will be held between December 13 and 21, 2021. To participate in any APTS general assembly, you must officially be a member of the union. You are officially a member if you filled out a membership form, either online or during a meeting with a union representative. If you haven’t yet filled out your membership form, we encourage you to do so immediately in order to avoid problems when you register for your special general assembly. Don’t hesitate to contact your local team or write to us at nego2020@aptsq.com. We’ll be happy to support you through the process. | AGREEMENT IN PRINCIPLE Here are the key aspects of the agreement in principle. This is not an exhaustive account – full details of the offer will be provided at the special general assembly. | Intersectoral matters - a three-year collective agreement ending March 31, 2023
- 6.1% to 7.2% pay increases over 3 years
- a lump-sum payment to all employees, equal to 33¢ for every hour paid between April 1, 2019 and March 31, 2020 (around $600 for an employee who was working full-time)
- a lump-sum payment to all employees, equal to 33¢ for every hour paid between April 1, 2020 and March 31, 2021 (around $600 for an employee who was working full-time)
- a budget of $3.9 million to address difficulties in attracting and retaining personnel on territories with severe workforce availability problems, such as Abitibi-Témiscamingue and Côte-Nord
- compensation for tax losses related to the third and fourth trips out for employees working in remote regions
- a budget of $3.9 million, of which $1 million is earmarked for residences with continuous assistance (RACs) and for residential care units in rehabilitation centres for clients who have intellectual disabilities, to set up temporary measures or pilot projects involving training, clinical support or measures to improve workers’ safety in performing their duties.
| Sectoral matters - an enhanced premium for psychologists who work at least 70 hours per pay period, increasing the premium to 9.6% (up 2.7%)
- an enhancement of the coordination premium, transforming it into a 5% responsibility premium for any technician or professional who supervises or coordinates the work of at least four employees, whatever their job group
- a new 2% premium for employees who supervise a student trainee
- an increase in the employer’s contribution to the health insurance plan from $5.97 to $17.91 per pay (tripling the amount), for employees participating in the insurance plan and their dependants
- recognition of all experience acquired in the health and social services system, for the purpose of calculating employees’ vacation quantum
- a permanent budget for the development of professional practice (Letter of Agreement No. 5) set at 0.28% of the total payroll
- greater eligibility for the critical care premium by eliminating the requirement of having to work 3 hours continuously before being eligible and by extending the premium to certain job titles
- enhancement of the evening shift premium by paying the premium as of 2 p.m. to employees who work the majority of their shift after 2 p.m.
- creation of a provincial joint committee to document employees’ conditions of practice and assess their workload
- reimbursement of parking fees at the employees’ home base, for employees who are required to use their personal vehicle in performing their duties
- conversion of hours of work into positions with job titles for employees working in laboratories, medical imaging, medical electrophysiology and the psychosocial sector, so that every employee holds a position with at least 12 work shifts per 28-day period
- a budget of $3.5 million to recognize the work of laboratory employees during the pandemic
- a budget of $2.6 million to recognize the work of medical imaging and medical electrophysiology employees during the pandemic
- extension of the psychiatry premium to new sectors and a 2.2% financial compensation equivalent to 5 floating days off
- voluntary lengthening of the work week to 37.5 hours for certain job titles in the psychosocial sector, with specific rules for posting vacant or newly created positions
- a budget of $1.9 million to recognize the specific contribution of physiotherapists, notably as part of the plan, made necessary by the pandemic, to resume surgery activities.
| Specific proposals for youth centres - a new recurrent 4% premium for employees working with clientele in youth centres
- a possibility for the employees to convert part of the 4% premium into 5 floating days off
- a new non-recurrent 3% premium in addition to the 4% premium, for employees working with clientele at the youth protection office (doing intake and dealing with reports, ensuring assessment-referral, applying measures, and doing follow-up). This premium will no longer be offered after September 30, 2023.
- conversion of hours of work into positions with job titles for all employees working with clientele, so that every employee holds a position with at least 12 work shifts per 28-day period
- the addition of 500 full-time equivalents (FTE) across the province
- three local pilot projects with a budget of $3,205,000: working jointly with the psychosocial sector, pivot youth worker, and a community of practice
- creation of a provincial joint committee to document employees’ conditions of practice and assess their workload, as part of its mandate.
| Pay equity maintenance complaints for physiotherapists Although a number of gains have been achieved that will improve the working conditions of all its members, the APTS deplores the government’s last-minute withdrawal of a proposal to settle pay equity maintenance complaints from 2010 for physiotherapists, which had been included in the government offer dated June 22, 2021. Despite repeated approaches to government negotiators and Treasury Board President Sonia LeBel, the government has refused to settle this issue once and for all, which is appalling. Sonia LeBel had an excellent opportunity to settle the last APTS pay equity maintenance complaints related to the 2010 audit and put them behind her. In so doing, she would have provided genuine recognition for physiotherapists. She is squarely to blame for this decision. Meanwhile, we’ll keep on working to eliminate an injustice that has existed for far too long. To remove the dissatisfaction created by its decision, the government has finally agreed to provide an additional $1.9 million for physiotherapists. Complaints currently filed with the CNESST are maintained, and the APTS will continue its action to obtain a settlement. The APTS bargaining coordinating committee | | | | |
