Unpaid premiums: the Front commun is back in action

The APTS and the members of the recent Front commun reactivated their alliance on February 20, publicly demanding that the government comply with the commitments it made as part of the last collective agreement.

The government “keeps on demanding more of professionals and technicians who work for the public system. Then when the time comes to pay what’s owed, we see that it’s dragging its feet,” said Robert Comeau. “This is an insult, and we won’t let it go by.”

The APTS recently filed a complaint against Santé Québec with the administrative labour tribunal (Tribunal administratif du travail – TAT) to force it to act.

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Unjustified attack on the right to strike

In his recently tabled Bill 89, Jean Boulet is waging an unacceptable attack on the right to strike, at the expense of Québec workers and for dubious reasons.

Using the pretext of economic and social peace, the labour minister is upsetting the essential power balance between employers and workers. For decades, the right to strike has preserved social peace and fair labour relations.

The APTS vigorously opposes this step backward, which will make it even more difficult for employees to defend their working conditions.

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Dare to make it happen by signing

Fed up with budget cuts?

Let minister of finance Éric Girard know, as he is preparing the 2025-2026 budget for the health and social services system.

Sign the APTS letter to demand:

• A budgetary shield

• Bold fiscal measures

• A reform of physicians’ status and remuneration

• An energetic plan to deprivatize health care

Sign the letter

On March 8, let's demonstrate!

This Saturday, you’re invited to participate in a major demonstration in Montréal organized by Women of Diverse Origins, part of the Collectif 8 mars.

We’ll gather at 4:30 p.m. at Square Norman Bethune, at the corner of Guy and De Maisonneuve West (Concordia metro station). The march will start from there at 5 p.m.

Step up and join the APTS in being a beacon of hope and resistance, because together, we are still fighting!

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Old stereotypes die hard

In the health and social services system, where jobs are overwhelmingly held by women, we often expect them to “take care,” the result of a gendered division of labour that associates them with traditional roles.

This is one of the main reasons why the “caring” professions are professionally and financially undervalued – thanks to the myth of a woman’s calling, and the dedication and self-sacrifice women are expected to embody.

Women are constantly asked to do more, without being granted the pay and recognition that should ensue, as you’ll see in the APTS’s 9^th factsheet published as part of its information campaign on workload. It’s essential reading.

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Suspension of seniority: APTS 4, employer 0

Are you on strike in a context of essential services? Your collective agreement and your rights still apply, according to a fourth arbitration ruling in less than three weeks, once again in favour of the APTS.

In 2021, the CISSS du Bas-Saint-Laurent suspended the accumulation of our members’ seniority during the strike. Arbitrator and distinguished jurist Denis Nadeau rebuked the employer: employees can’t be subject to penalties or reprisals under such circumstances.

These decisions confirm that rights associated with a collective agreement must be maintained while essential services are being provided, and that this is a fundamental right guaranteed and protected by charters.

Physician's notes: less time wasting

Is a cold keeping you home for a day or two? You no longer need to provide your employer with a physician’s note.

You are now entitled to three periods of absence of three consecutive days or less annually without having to present a medical certificate to your manager.

This is thanks to the new Act mainly to reduce the administrative burden of physicians (now in effect), which amends article 79.2 of the Act respecting labour standards.

Rest up, drink plenty of liquids and… stay away from the doctor’s office.

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Bye bye X, hello Bluesky!

In response to changes on social media, the APTS has decided to suspend its activities on X (formerly Twitter) and migrate to the Bluesky platform, at aptsq.bsky.social.

The APTS constantly monitors its social media pages to offer a respectful, inclusive forum for discussion, whether on Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok or LinkedIn.

Cuts or no cuts?

In our last quiz, we asked the following question: “Do you think finance minister Éric Girard will have the nerve to make even more cuts to health and social services in his next budget?”

Opinions are divided, to say the least*: 55% believe no, 8% believe yes and 37% are in the “maybe yes, maybe no” camp.

Regardless, we’ll be watching on March 12. All bets are off against the backdrop of the Canada-U.S. trade war and the SAAQclic scandal (-$500 million).

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