NATIONAL BARGAINING
Follow your contract talks

The APTS-FIQ alliance will not be taking part in the upcoming discussion forums proposed by the Treasury Board, within the context of our current contract talks. The APTS and the FIQ consider these forums a waste of time that will only add more bargaining venues and erode our clout at the bargaining tables.

To find out what the government offered this past December in response to our union contract demands, read the latest Info Négo newsletter. Check out the latest issue for a clearer idea of the APTS-FIQ demands and the management proposals compared to current economic indicators.

PAY EQUITY
Failure of the umpteenth phase of conciliation

The APTS is bitterly disappointed to report that at the end of this new conciliation period set out in Law 4 (which was adopted last April), the complaints contesting the 2010 pay equity audit results are still not settled. Given the management proposals we received, it’s hard to imagine a satisfactory settlement for our members. The APTS tried all last fall to arrive at an agreement to ensure fair and accurate recognition of changes that occurred in the work before 2010, so that our members could be paid without sustaining wage discrimination.

In the face of this failed conciliation of complaints filed in 2011, the CNESST will reactivate its investigation.

OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY
CNESST's strategic plan for 2020-2023

The CNESST's strategic plan for 2020–2023 sets the priorities on which it intends to focus in the coming years. Taking into account changes and developments in the labour market, the CNESST is targeting work-related psychosocial risks, among other things. The Commission undertakes to do its part to help prevent these hazards in the workplace.

COMMUNICATIONS
Call for opinions

If you'd like to take part in discussions on current issues that concern your colleagues in health and social services, you can present your views in our union magazine, BlueAPTS, which is open to all members' opinions. Check out the latest articles published just before the holidays, covering a range of topics such as the vision of the new APTS president, the upcoming revision of the Act respecting occupational health and safety, and spiritual care work in the health and social services sector. The English translation of key articles will be available soon.

UNION ORGANIZING
New APTS members

At the APTS, we now have members from a new bargaining unit in our ranks: the Foster Addiction Rehabilitation Centre (Montréal), a separate bargaining unit associated with the CISSS Montérégie-Ouest. We welcome these 17 human relations officers and 4 educators who serve an English-speaking clientele with addiction problems.

ORGANIZATION OF WORK AND PROFESSIONAL ISSUES
Administering and dispensing medication

Are you authorized to administer or dispense prescription drugs in the context of your work? To answer this question, it’s important to know the difference between administering and dispensing medication, and be familiar with a few basic concepts to understand the criteria for these two acts. The APTS has put together a guide for you, compiling relevant information from various sources.