The union representing nurses in the Côte-Nord region, which is not affiliated with the Fédération interprofessionnelle de la santé du Québec (FIQ), says that even if the latter reached an agreement with Quebec, it would not solve the workforce problem in the region. And it also does not believe that a flying team is the medium-term solution.
The only long-term solution to the shortage of nursing workers on the North Shore is to offer attractive bonuses to everyone, in all locations, argued Karine Ouellet Moreau, president of the Union of Health Workers of Northeastern Quebec, in an interview Monday.
This union of nurses, nursing assistants and respiratory therapists, which has 1,200 members, is attached to the Fédération de la santé (FSQ), which is affiliated with the Centrale des syndicats du Québec (CSQ).
The FSQ has renewed its collective agreement with Quebec. And the members ratified the agreement during the summer. However, the nursing workforce problems on the North Shore are still making headlines because of the serious shortage, which is affecting services to citizens.
And for his part, Health Minister Christian Dubé blames the FIQ because it still hasn’t reached an agreement with Quebec and it represents the vast majority of nurses. The minister is counting on a flying team of nurses to relieve the Côte-Nord.
More than a hundred vacancies
Mme Ouellet Moreau is categorical: even if the FIQ settled with Quebec, it would not solve the problem on the Côte-Nord. “Absolutely not. It could be something temporary, which could help, but it’s about 11 people, while there are more than a hundred positions without incumbents in our category” of employment. “No, we don’t believe that the flying team is going to save health care on the Côte-Nord right now.”
Moreover, she points out that the Côte-Nord also has a housing shortage and that this would pose a problem for nurses on flying teams.
In his eyes, the only medium and long-term solution involves attractive working conditions, including remote working bonuses for everyone, in all locations.
“That would be a good solution: to give bonuses to the public network, Haute-Côte-Nord and Baie-Comeau, because in those sectors, there is nothing.”
“We understand that the agencies were expensive and that they created deficits for the CISSS. We are not asking for the same amounts, but we are asking for at least an incentive. An 8% bonus for the entire Côte-Nord was not much. Only Haute-Côte-Nord and Baie-Comeau are not receiving anything. We are talking about approximately 350 members,” argues Karine Ouellet Moreau.
“We denounce this a lot to the government: give favorable conditions to the public sector, then people will not go to the private sector. But it seems that they do not understand,” concludes the president of the union.
The FSQ, affiliated with the CSQ, has more than 5,000 nurses, nursing assistants and respiratory therapists. It is the union organization with the largest number of nurses after the Fédération interprofessionnelle de la santé (FIQ), which has 80,000.