Protecting our purchasing power and
getting a catch-up pay increase: these are essential conditions

“There will be no agreement unless our members’ purchasing power is protected and unless they are provided with a catch-up pay increase. We won’t let any of our members get poorer – and that’s something the CAQ government needs to understand.” Such was the Front commun spokespersons’ response to the offer of a 12.7% pay increase over five years that was tabled by the government on December 6. The spokespersons did note, however, that this is the first pay offer providing a basis for more serious negotiations, and discussions continued at the central bargaining table over the weekend. The Front commun has said it is willing to reach an agreement covering a longer period of time as long as the essential conditions named above are met.

For more information, see the joint press release and listen to Robert Comeau’s interview with Patrick Lagacé (in French). 

Workers have been stretched to the limit for too long

In the middle of a series of seven consecutive strike days, Front commun unions representing workers in health and social services sharply criticized the setbacks the government wants to impose in terms of working conditions. Constant repetition of words like flexibility and adaptability fails to conceal its goal of exerting greater control over the work carried out by exhausted workers in the public system. “Employees right now are leaving the system by every available exit,” said union spokespersons. “By attacking what little stability is still provided by working conditions, the government is stepping on the gas while heading straight for the wall. It needs to do exactly the opposite – working conditions for all of the job titles in the system need to be improved immediately.”

For more information, see the joint press release.

In health and social services, not everyone is a nurse

From now until December 24, you’ll be hearing three APTS ads on the radio, in English and French! These short audio clips emphasize the wide range of jobs carried out in health and social services and the need to improve working conditions for all of the people working in our public system.

COMMUNICATIONS
Follow the strike on TikTok!

What’s the mood on the picket lines? Our new TikTok account can give you a glimpse. You can also join well-established APTS communities on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn.

FINANCIAL SERVICES
Strike pay

Most of the strike pay cheques for November 6 will be in your mailboxes by the beginning of the holidays.

For the 11th day of strike action, a change has been made to the percentage used to calculate strike pay: it has been raised from 70% to 80% for everyone taking part in strike action on Thursday, December 14. Strike pay will be calculated according to the same criteria as for previous days.

Online form

If you were on strike on November 21, 22, or 23, please submit a single claim via our online form, whether you participated in one, two, or three days of strike action. Don’t forget that in order to access the form, you must have a pay slip showing that your pay was cut.

HEALTH CARE REFORM (PLAN SANTÉ)
Government invokes closure to ensure hurried adoption of the Dubé reform

It's official: Bill 15, the government’s legislation to make the health and social services system “more efficient,” was adopted on December 9 using closure, despite the total lack of consensus surrounding the bill. APTS vice-president Emilie Charbonneau deplored this outcome. “From the beginning, the APTS was intent on collaborating to improve the bill,” she said. “But a reform can only work if it’s accepted by people in the setting where it’s going to be implemented.” APTS president Robert Comeau pointed to the need to hold forums during the transition period so that workers’ voices can be taken into account.

For more information, see our press release and watch the interview with Robert Comeau on D'abord l'info.