VOLUME 9 No. 10 | MAY 22, 2019 | And until the commission on youth services completes its findings? The government will mandate Régine Laurent, former president of the FIQ, to oversee the commission of inquiry on youth services that will soon be created in response to the crisis that has shaken the sector since the tragic death of the young girl in Granby. The APTS wants to ensure that its youth workers’ immediate demands aren't sidelined in favour of a process that probably won’t be completed for another two years. With the consent of members of our consultation committee on youth centres, the APTS published an ad on May 17 in La Presse + and in various regional daily newspapers. It will be published in The Gazette on May 23. This ad and the press releases that have been issued in the past two weeks on this particularly painful crisis for workers in youth centres and youth protection are on a web page dedicated to the campaign Des solutions pour nos enfants (Solutions for our children). | PROFESSIONAL GROUPS
Invitation to a family march organized by the PHAS movement On June 15, the PHAS movement (persons with disabilities for access to services) invites you to a family march as part of its campaign Nous sommes et nous voulons! L'accès aux services, une question d'autonomie! This event is to promote and reassert the demands of the movement’s members, such as hours of respite time, rehabilitation or home support, and day activities or specialized housing. Marchers are rallying at 1 pm in Parc Laurier, at the corner of Laurier and Brébeuf. | | LABOUR RELATIONS
Tribunal overturns a CNESST decision and recognizes a psychological injury A judge ordered that a worker represented by the APTS be compensated following an employment injury that she sustained as a result of psychological harassment at work. The CNESST (Labour Standards, Pay Equity and Occupational Health and Safety Commission) had initially denied the worker’s claim. The employer acknowledged the events but claimed that they were a normal part of a day’s work. In the judge’s view, however, the manager’s behaviour toward the employee had triggered a series of events that exceeded the normal context of work and would have traumatized any reasonable person placed in the same situation. Moreover, nothing else could explain the state of the worker’s health. In handing down this decision, the judge confirmed that the employee's diagnosis (adjustment disorder) was a consequence of her work. | MOBILIZATION
Solidarity with locked-out workers in Bécancour The local union representing metalworkers at the Aluminerie de Bécancour Inc. (ABI), who’ve been locked out since January 2018, is organizing a family solidarity march on May 25 to protest the insulting attitude of ABI’s owners, the multinational corporations Alcoa and Rio Tinto. The APTS provincial representative for the Mauricie-et-du-Centre-du-Québec region, Sylvie Godin, will be among the participants in this solidarity event. The APTS invites its members to take part on a voluntary basis. To find out more about the locked-out workers’ struggle at ABI, visit their Facebook page. | | SOCIAL SECURITY
Reducing your health insurance coverage You can reduce your coverage at any time by choosing the intermediate or basic health insurance plan, providing that you've been participating for at least 24 months in your current superior or intermediate insurance plan. To withdraw from dental care coverage, the minimum participation period is 48 months. To make these changes, you have to submit a request directly to your employer. Check to ensure that the requested changes subsequently appear on your pay slip. For more information, consult the 2019 brochure Group insurance plan at a glance. | Travel assistance A heads-up to those of you who have opted for the intermediate or superior insurance plan that includes travel insurance coverage: did you know that you’re entitled to CanAssistance services? In fact, it is recommended that you contact CanAssistance before finalizing your travel arrangements, especially if you have health problems (or have already had health problems) that might jeopardize your coverage on your trip abroad. If that’s the case, we encourage you to contact CanAssistance at the following numbers: Canada – U.S.: 1 800 465-2928
Elsewhere in the world, reversing the charges:
514 286-8412 These numbers are on the back of your SSQ membership card. Make sure to take it with you while you travel in case you need help with a problem. For further information, consult Your group assurance plan, pages 24 and following. | | Planning your trip Summer vacation time is coming up and you’d like to get away? If you’re planning to travel to parts of the world other than the U.S. and Western Europe, it is recommended that you contact the SSQ travel assistance company, CanAssistance. It will give you helpful advice, notify you of any travel advisories, depending on the country you plan to visit, and tell you whether or not you’ll be covered while travelling in a country that’s under a travel advisory. For advice on safety precautions and security measures to take, or to find out about travel advisories for certain destinations, you can also visit the Foreign Affairs Canada website. | | COMMUNICATIONS
APTS en conseil général online The APTS held a General Council meeting on May 8 and 9 that was initially set to focus on preparations for consulting APTS members on the upcoming round of provincial contract talks. Given recent events, considerable attention was also given to the conditions of practice of workers in youth protection and youth centres. For the highlights, consult the online newsletter L’APTS en conseil général. | | OHS-SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Climate change toolkit Climate change affects the health of the population. Heat-related illnesses, cardiovascular disease, respiratory or infectious diseases, cancer, mental health problems, injuries and death can all be associated with our changing climate. There is solid evidence that an increase in health problems in Canada is to be expected. The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment has designed a toolkit offering health professionals a number of factsheets on various themes that clearly establish a causal link between health and climate change. | | | | | |
