VOLUME 12 No. 13 | JULY 4, 2022 | PAY EQUITY AND SALARY RELATIVITY
Check your pay equity amounts received! The MSSS announced that the retroactive payments resulting from the settlement of the 2010 pay equity complaints were issued on June 16 to all members concerned. Given the lengthy period covered by these payments and the complex calculations involved, the APTS wants the employer to provide details so you can check that you were paid the right amount. Your local team is already discussing this with the employer to ensure that you receive a detailed statement. It's important that each of you check the calculations and the amounts you were paid. And keep all your documents on the subject. If you’re not sure about the accuracy of the amounts or you haven’t received your payment, contact your employer. If the outcome isn’t conclusive, notify your local team right away. | | No retroactive adjustment for your QPIP benefits? Gearing up to take action! The APTS has learned that a great many employees are unable to obtain the Québec Parental Insurance Plan (QPIP) benefits owed to them – i.e., the benefits they should receive that take into account the retroactive salary paid when the collective agreement was renewed, and the pay equity complaints settlements. The QPIP rules don’t allow for benefits to be recalculated if the recipient’s file is no long active – which means that thousands of you are losing out. The APTS considers this situation to be discriminatory and has decided to document it so we can contest the QPIP rules and get them changed. If this situation affects you, take steps quickly to demand retroactive QPIP benefits. Go to the APTS web page to follow these steps. | | Job valuation for biomedical engineering technical coordinators: news about the hearings Both sides presented their case before the Superior Court judge on June 20 and 21 as planned, after the MSSS applied for a judicial review of the arbitration decision siding with the APTS. We are satisfied with the evidence presented, and the judge seemed to be cognizant of the time already spend on this case. Based on what she told us, her decision may be handed down at the end of the summer or in early fall. It usually takes six months for a ruling, however. We’ll keep you posted as soon as we have any news. | | PROVINCIAL CONTRACT TALKS
Tangible recognition is taking shape! An agreement has been reached on the distribution of funds conferred in the last round of bargaining to recognize the contribution of Class 4 employees in the following fields. For those working in medical labs - $3.5 million; in medical imaging, nuclear medicine and medical electrophysiology - $2.6 million; and in physiotherapy - $1.9 million. - These funds will be distributed in lump-sum payments to employees, with the exception of those hired through the program “Je contribute COVID-19″ who were assigned to vaccination and screening activities.
- In calculating the lump-sum amount, the hours actually worked include regular hours, overtime hours,* statutory holidays, annual vacation leave, floating days off, and time off for pregnancy-related medical appointments.
- The reference period used in calculating the hours worked is April 1, 2020** to January 30, 2022, the date the national provisions of the collective agreement came into force.
- The amounts due under the agreement must be paid within 120 days of the date the agreement was signed.
* Except physiotherapists, as the decision was made in consultations to not count overtime. ** Except physiotherapists, as the date decided on in consultations was July 1, 2020. | LABOUR RELATIONS
Seniority accumulated while on strike: first arbitration decision Last summer, a number of employers in health and social services facilities suspended their employees' accumulation of seniority for the four days they were on strike. This was a first, and it went against the law. The APTS immediately filed grievances throughout the province to contest this suspension of seniority, based on issues related to seniority for full-time employees and the accumulation of sick leave. A first decision in our favour was handed down at the MUHC on June 20. The arbitrator ruled that the employer’s suspension of employees’ seniority during a legal strike contravened the law and the collective agreement. The ruling was reported in Le Devoir. This victory sets the stage for part-time employees and for the other health and social services institutions concerned. We are forging ahead with the grievance settlement process and with our strategic coordinated approach to arbitration in all the institutions, to ensure that no one is penalized for exercising their right to strike. Stay tuned! | | SOCIAL SECURITY
A tool to calculate your insurance premiums A tool to calculate insurance premiums is available to help you choose the best coverage for your needs by telling you the cost of each option (for instance: basic, intermediate or superior plan). While you’re at it, you might also want to check if the amount calculated for your premium is the same as the amount your employer deducts from your pay slip. Keep in mind that the amount indicated by the tool includes the premium holiday provided by the government contribution, but it doesn’t include the 9% tax. You also need to subtract the employer’s share from the premium as calculated by the tool: that’s $7.17 if you’re on an individual plan or $17.91 if you’re on a single-parent, couple or family plan. For more information on coverage, see our brochure Group insurance: Your plan at a glance. | ORGANIZATION OF WORK AND PROFESSIONAL ISSUES
Home care: APTS input will help the Health and Welfare Commissioner fulfill her mandate As announced in the MSSS plan to reform the healthcare system, the Health and Welfare Commissioner has been mandated to assess the performance of government home support programs and to submit her recommendations no later than December 1, 2023. In response to the Commissioner’s call for contributions, the APTS focused on explaining the key role played by its members in providing home care and services. Among other issues, the APTS emphasized the need to recognize the expertise of APTS members by creating attractive conditions of practice that will enable them to meet service users' real needs. We’ll keep on participating in the Commissioner’s work in the coming months, with the help and input of our home support / CHSLD consultation committee. To be continued! | | UNION ORGANIZATION
Putting an end to union raiding activities At the request of the Fédération des professionnèles
(FP-CSN) and the CSN, the APTS has agreed to end the union raiding campaign that these organizations had initiated a few weeks ago. The pandemic and inflation have had a brutal impact on Québec workers, and the government is going to initiate a major reform of the health and social services system. In this context, our priority is clear: we’re completely focused on improving our members’ working and living conditions, and the next round of contract talks is key to achieving this. We’re more determined than ever to promote your job titles and missions and to attract and retain professionals and technicians who will be committed to providing Quebecers with quality services. For more information, see the email sent to you on this topic on June 29. | | | | | |
