VOLUME 9 No. 9 | MAY 9, 2019

Urgent action needed to improve youth protection workers’ conditions 

Following the tragedy in Granby that shook the entire province and provoked intense reactions in youth protection circles, the APTS made an urgent call to the office of the minister responsible for social services, Lionel Carmant. The minister personally met with the APTS president to agree on immediate concrete measures and medium-term solutions to improve youth centre workers’ conditions of practice. Further developments are expected soon.

APTS calls for solidarity with flood victims

Briefed about the situation on the ground by our members who are involved in supporting the flood victims, the APTS launched a call for solidarity on May 2, inviting the public to show compassion by giving generously. Our union set an example by making a substantial donation to the Red Cross.

In a press release, Carolle Dubé took the opportunity to highlight the role of psychosocial teams working with people affected by the rising flood waters. The president also applauded the decision of the CISSS des Laurentides to offer five days off with pay to employees directly affected by the floods and allow them to take another five days’ off, using their bank of vacation time. The APTS invites the directors of institutions in other regions to do the same.

Eight healthcare star awards given to APTS teams

Of the 20 prizes awarded by the Caisse Desjardins du Réseau de la santé on April 25, eight were given to teams comprised of members of Class 4 personnel (including two first prizes). APTS members distinguished themselves in three of the four categories: for improved practices, more humane care, and innovation. The two first prizes in their class of personnel were awarded for the nutritionists’ project at the CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l’Île-de-Montréal, spearheaded by Pascale Fournier, and the project introducing an emotional support dog for children at the CISSS de la Montérégie-Est, led by Caroline Légaré and Danielle Proulx. Our e-zine BlueAPTS will be covering their achievements.

PROFESSIONAL GROUPS
Petition on the OCCI tool for your multidisciplinary council

It’s urgent that the clinical issues associated with the OCCI tool (computerized clinical treatment pathway) be assessed. To promote this idea, the APTS is launching an online petition open to members of each of its bargaining units, which is directed at their multidisciplinary council. You don’t have to be using the OCCI to sign the petition: any member of the health and social services system should sign in solidarity with their colleagues.

The petition calls on the multidisciplinary council in each integrated centre to assess the impact of the OCCI tool on professional practices and the accessibility of care and services as soon as possible, and to draft recommendations to resolve problems affecting professional practice, delivery of care and services, and workforce planning. You have until June 21, 2019 to sign the petition specifically designed for your institution, which is available on the web page dedicated to the OCCI.

SOCIAL SECURITY
Statement of Participation – RREGOP

In April, you should have received your Statement of Participation in the RREGOP. It contains data on your contributions to the RREGOP pension plan as at December 31, 2017. This data is accurate as it is the same information that Retraite Québec had at that date. We invite you to check whether the information on your statement reflects your personal situation, and to let your employer know if you have any questions about it. Exceptionally this fall, you'll receive a new version of the Statement of Participation that will contain updated data as at December 31, 2018. For more information about this document, please consult the Retraite Québec site.

PAY EQUITY AND SALARY RELATIVITY
Integration in the new salary scales

Following their integration in the new salary structure on
April 2, 2018 (Letter of Agreement No. 33) and 2019 (Letter of Agreement No. 28), a number of employees represented by the APTS find themselves at a lower echelon than their experience warrants. To address this situation, we have issued a request to every employer to recognize and credit these employees’ experience. Discussions will be held in the various professional relations committees, between employers and APTS labour relations counsellors. We’ll keep you posted of further developments.

LOCAL BARGAINING
The countdown 

Contract talks on the local provisions of the collective agreement are drawing to a close. Very recently, the Abitibi-Témiscamingue laboratory unit reached a tentative agreement with its Montréal-based employer, the MUHC. That’s the first agreement for our regional units created as part of the OPTILAB reorganization. The other laboratory units are: Laval-Laurentides-Lanaudière, which comes under the CISSS de Laval; the Gaspé lab unit, affiliated with the Bas-St-Laurent; and the Côte-Nord lab unit, affiliated with Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean.

Before that, we settled in Estrie and Laval, just before arbitration was set to begin. The APTS unit at the CIUSSS West-Central Montreal, for its part, was unable to avoid arbitration, which resulted in the arbitrator deciding in favour of the employer. There are still three cases not yet settled, in Bas-Saint-Laurent, Montérégie-Centre and Outaouais. As for negotiations in institutions that are outside the health and social services sector, only the Unité de santé animale du CHU de Québec still hasn’t settled; employees at the Pointe St. Charles Community Clinic have ratified an agreement.