VOLUME 14 No. 1 | JANUARY 22, 2024

CONTRACT TALKS
Time to have your say on the tentative deal

Special general assemblies will be held until February 21 to tell you about the tentative deal reached by the APTS and the government. Your delegates to the APTS General Council endorsed and recommended the deal on January 4 – now, it’s up to you to approve or reject it. To get ready for your general assembly, stay tuned for communications from your local executive and see the APTS website. We hope a great many of you will participate.

DECISION-MAKING BODIES
2024's first General Council

The first APTS General Council in 2024 will start tomorrow (Tuesday). On the agenda: expanding the scope of professional practices under the Plan santé; renewal of your group insurance; follow-up on the pay equity audit; and the Coalition Main rouge campaign. Follow us on Facebook for daily updates about what’s happening at the General Council.

ORGANIZATION OF WORK AND PROFESSIONAL ISSUES
Social workers, the floor is yours

Social workers, now is your opportunity to express your opinion on the impact of various reforms on your professional practice.

A new university research project will focus on this topic. The goal is to learn how you handle these challenges and what you think could be done to help you meet your profession’s ethical standards.

The study will rely on confidential interviews carried out by videoconference; these interviews will last about two hours. A $50 compensation is offered.

Interested? Write to elise.bastille-lavigne.1@ulaval.ca.

SOCIO-POLITICAL ACTION
2024-2025 budget: let's get our priorities straight

Québec is currently holding its pre-budget consultations, and the APTS has taken this opportunity to submit a brief (in French) asking the finance minister to get his priorities straight and ensure the future of the health and social services system.

Our demands fall under three headings: making better use of tax revenues to invest in health and social services; establishing a budgetary shield against austerity; and putting an end to privatization, once and for all. It’s simple!

You can help us get the message across by responding to the finance ministry’s online questionnaire. It will only take a few minutes – click here to find it.

Black History Month

February is officially Black History Month, and various activities will take place throughout the month to highlight the remarkable contribution of Black communities to Québec society. Some of these activities are hosted by the Round Table on Black History Month, whose yearly programming will be unveiled on its website on January 25.

SOCIAL SECURITY
RREGOP contribution rate goes down

Your RREGOP contribution rate will be slightly lower in 2024. In keeping with the actuarial valuation of the pension plan, the rate will go from from 9.69% to 9.39% (a 0.3% drop compared to 2023).

For full details, see the Retraite Québec website or, better yet, sign up for our webinar on “Making sense of the RREGOP and other pension benefits.”

Webinar: Making sense of the RREGOP and other pension benefits

Whether you’re at the beginning of your career or just about to retire, this webinar will give you the information you need to optimize your contribution to your pension plan.

The next webinar will take place at noon on January 29 (in French) and will last about two hours.

REGISTER

If you have a question, write to us at retraite.assurance@aptsq.com. Union leave time cannot be granted for this type of meeting.

COMMUNICATIONS
Do you know any stars?

It could be a colleague, your team, or you yourself. Do you know someone who has made an outstanding contribution to our health care system? Why not send a nomination to the 6th edition of the SRS Awards (Prix Stars du Réseau de la santé)?

The SRS Awards are organized by the branch of Caisse Desjardins serving clients who work in health care, social services and life sciences. These awards celebrate innovative measures implemented by professionals to provide quality care and improve Quebecers’ lives. A member of the APTS Provincial Executive is on the jury.

Nominations will be received until February 22, 2024. For more information and to submit your application, go to https://caissesante.ca/en/srs-awards/candidature.

To counteract Meta’s decision to block the publication on Facebook of news originating with Canadian media, the APTS is now providing a summary of its media interventions (in French) on its website at aptsq.com/media2024. You can go to this page to directly access articles and interviews related to your union.