LABOUR RELATIONS
Premium for psychologists working in more than one institution

An arbitrator ordered that a psychologist working full-time in the health and social services sector – but in two CISSS (2 days/week in one and 3 days/week in the other) – be paid the retention premium that the employer had refused to pay. The APTS argued that the work referred to in the collective agreement is work performed for the entire health and social services system, given the labour shortages in this job title. The arbitrator also highlighted the fact that the management guide issued by the MSSS even sets out the terms and conditions of payment applicable in such situations: i.e., that each employer pay the premium proportionally to the number of hours worked in her or his institution.

SOCIO-POLITICAL ACTION
Collective for a provincial strategy on suicide prevention

The APTS joined the Collectif pour une stratégie nationale en prévention du suicide. Created in 2019, this collective brings together organizations that are working in suicide prevention and mental health or are concerned by these issues. Its objective is to convince the Québec government to adopt a provincial strategy specifically on suicide prevention, to reduce deaths. To meet its objectives, the collective intends to launch a communications campaign to rally public support. 

How do tax havens work?
The example of KPMG

A firm of lawyers and accountants, an island, some affluent individuals, judges and a tax scheme – a perfect recipe for avoiding the tax man! So perfect that the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has never managed to obtain the list of clients of KPMG, the company that used this tax scheme. More disquieting still is that the CRA ultimately decided to grant amnesty to the firm’s clients. For details on one of the biggest Canadian tax fraud scandals ever, consult the second factsheet published by the anti-tax-haven collective, Échec aux paradis fiscaux, to which the APTS belongs

ORGANIZATION OF WORK AND PROFESSIONAL ISSUES
APTS at the OPTMQ convention

From October 3 to 5, the professional order of Québec medical technologists (OPTMQ) will be holding its convention at the Centrexpo Cogeco centre in Drummondville. The theme: dynamic changes in laboratories over the years. When it comes to changes in medical labs, it’s important not to overlook the ongoing roll-out of the OPTILAB reform. As in previous years, the APTS will have a booth at the convention to meet with medical technologists and discuss the consequences and issues surrounding this reform, which is still a cause of concern. Come and see us!

SOCIAL SECURITY
New automated reimbursement in pharmacies 

If you are receiving CNESST or IVAC compensation while you are off work, and need to be reimbursed for medication, as of September 23 you can use the direct automated reimbursement in pharmacies. It is totally to your advantage to submit your claims under the CNESST or IVAC plan, as the amount reimbursed is higher than under group insurance plans. Submitting your claim to the right place is also better for the financial well-being of the plans. We invite you to notify your pharmacist.

Insurance when you retire

If you’re on the verge of retiring, it’s important to know that once your employment relationship is severed, you will no longer be covered by your current group insurance plan. To find out the various options open to you, consult the article entitled “Insurance when you retire” on the APTS website.

Brilliant initiatives in OHS

A number of APTS members who’ve made advances in prevention in their sector have been awarded the Pleins feux sur l’initiative en SST prize in the 2019 ASSTSAS contest to honour OHS initiatives. Our congratulations to:

• Marielle Archambault, physical rehabilitation therapist at the Centre d’accueil Marcelle-Ferron, for her Effortless Turn Sling (Tourner Sans Effort)
• Frédérick Pelletier, Noémie Bérubé, Serey-Phorn Sea, Caroline Côté, Nathalie Cloutier and Karole Biron, medical technologists at the CHU de Québec, for their safety and biosecurity program.

For further details, consult the ASSTSAS document.

FEMINIST ACTION
For fair remuneration

You may have heard about the study by IRIS (Institut de recherche et d’informations socioéconomiques) during consultations on our demands for the upcoming provincial contract talks. We are demanding that the government provide you with a catch-up pay increase, based on that study. If you aren’t familiar with the study, you can consult the research report entitled Inégalités de rémunération entre les hommes et les femmes au Québec : L’impact de la ségrégation professionnelle du secteur public (Pay inequalities between men and women in Québec: the impact of occupational segregation in the public sector).