JULY 21, 2021 | No. 16

The government’s global offer will be presented to you in special general assemblies

At the General Council on July 13 and 14, your delegates decided to present the government’s global offer to all APTS members in special general assemblies. There will not be an accompanying recommendation that it be accepted or rejected, as you have the final say in deciding whether the offer is acceptable.

The APTS has had the same objective since these contract talks started more than 18 months ago. Our goal is to obtain working conditions that reflect the expertise of all health and social services professionals and technicians, to attract and retain a sufficient workforce in the public sector. These improvements would help reduce your work overload and enhance Quebecers’ access to care and services.

The offer contains significant advances in terms of your working conditions, but doesn’t fully meet our targeted objectives. This is what prevented the delegation from making a recommendation to you.

Special general assemblies in the fall 

Given that the summer vacation period isn’t optimal for consulting members, the decision was made to hold special general assemblies starting in mid-September, to ensure that as many of you as possible can participate. This decision also reflects the time required to organize these assemblies and prepare the materials to help you make an informed decision.

The Québec government’s offer

We understand members’ impatience to know what the government offered the APTS on June 22, 2021, and to vote on it. Here are the main points. (Details will be presented at special general assemblies.)

1. Intersectoral matters

• a 3-year collective agreement ending March 31, 2023

• 6.1% to 7.2% pay increases over 3 years

• an initial lump-sum payment to all employees, equal to 33¢ for every hour paid between April 1, 2019 and March 31, 2020 (around $600 for an employee who was working full-time)

• a second lump-sum payment to all employees, equal to 33¢ for every hour paid between April 1, 2020 and March 31, 2021 (around $600 for an employee who was working full-time)

• a budget of $3.9 million to address difficulties in attracting and retaining personnel on territories with severe workforce availability problems, such as Abitibi-Témiscamingue and Côte-Nord

• compensation for tax losses related to the 3^rd and 4^th trips out for employees working in remote regions

• a budget of $3.9 million, of which $1 million is earmarked for residences with continuous assistance (RACs) and for residential care units in rehabilitation centres for clients who have intellectual disabilities, to set up temporary measures or pilot projects involving training, clinical support or measures to improve workers’ safety in performing their duties.

2. Sectoral matters

• an enhanced premium for psychologists who work at least 70 hours per pay period, increasing the premium to 9.6% (up 2.7%)

• an enhancement of the co-ordination premium, transforming it into a 5% responsibility premium for any technician or professional who supervises or co-ordinates the work of at least four employees, whatever their job group

• a new 2% premium for employees who supervise a student trainee

• an increase in the employer’s contribution to the health insurance plan from $5.97 to $17.91 per pay (tripling the amount), for employees participating in the insurance plan and their dependants

• recognition of all experience acquired in the health and social services system, for the purpose of calculating employees’ vacation quantum

• a permanent budget for the development of professional practice (Letter of Agreement No. 5) set at 0.28% of the total payroll

• greater eligibility for the critical care premium by eliminating the requirement of having to work 3 hours continuously before being eligible and by extending the premium to certain job titles

• enhancement of the evening shift premium by paying the premium as of 2 pm to employees who work the majority of their shift after 2 pm

• creation of a provincial joint committee to document employees’ conditions of practice and assess their workload

• reimbursement of parking fees at the employees’ home base, for employees who are required to use their personal vehicle in performing their duties

• conversion of hours of work into positions with job titles for employees working in laboratories, medical imaging, medical electrophysiology and the psychosocial sector, so that every employee holds a position with at least 12 work shifts per 28-day period

• a budget of $3.5 million to recognize the work of laboratory employees during the pandemic

• voluntary lengthening of the work week to 37.5 hours a week for certain job titles in the psychosocial sector and inclusion of this longer work week in the List of job titles, job descriptions and salary rates and scales so that these positions would subsequently be posted as involving 35 hours or 37.5 hours

• settlement of the pay equity maintenance complaints from 2010 for the job classes of:

• physiotherapist,
• clinical lecturer (physiotherapy) – with retroactivity
• assistant chief physiotherapist / assistant head physiotherapist – without retroactivity.

3. Specific proposals for youth centres

• a new recurrent 4% premium for employees working with clientele in youth centres

• a new non-recurrent 3% premium in addition to the 4% premium, for employees working with clientele at the youth protection office (applying measures, ensuring assessment-referral, doing intake and follow-up, and dealing with reports). This premium will no longer be offered after March 30, 2023.

• conversion of hours of work into positions with job titles for all employees working with clientele in youth centres and youth protection offices, so that every employee holds a position with at least 12 work shifts per 28-day period

• the addition of 500 full-time equivalents (FTE) across the province

• 3 local pilot projects with a budget of $3,205,000: working jointly with the psychosocial sector; pivot youth worker; a community of practice

• creation of a provincial joint committee to document employees’ conditions of practice and assess their workload, as part of its mandate

Compensation for strike activities

We are compiling all the necessary data so that the APTS can issue cheques as quickly as possible to those of you who took part in strike activities in June and requested compensation. Please consult your local team if you have any questions.

Have a good summer!

QUESTIONS? WRITE TO US AT NEGO2020@APTSQ.COM