Friday I went on strike for the fifth time. I work as a sterilization attendant at the hospital. It is in this department that we sterilize the tools intended to treat you. My colleagues and I work in a small, little-known wing of the hospital. We return there like ghosts. However, our work is considered a critical service.
If the unit closed tomorrow morning, the operating room would have to cease its activities. Of course, that won’t happen. On the other hand, departures keep coming and we are struggling to recruit. I have been working in this department for six months and, like me, most new employees only want to work part-time.
Working in a hospital is no longer a career. The salary cap is outdated and the long-term outlook is discouraging. My colleagues who have more than ten years of expertise are considering professional reorientation. “You’ll see, it’s so much easier. You don’t even have to worry about anything, you can even take your time. » This is what those who have taken the plunge say. My colleagues are exhausted. They feel overwhelmed, left to their own devices. The hospital eliminated the only position that provided us with support. Instead of hiring a resource nurse, he chose to invest in efficiency and performance.
I am doing the strike for my colleagues, but also for my future. I’m studying to teach college and I’m scared. I fear ending up in a job still neglected by our government. In the field of health, as in education, it is normal to give too much.
I am far from alone in experiencing this reality. There are more than 400,000 of us. My boyfriend is also studying to become a teacher. We often discuss our perspectives. We are following the negotiations between the government and the unions with concern. The government’s attitude outrages us. Our system is based on exploitation. We depend on those who give too much. We depend on workers who no longer count the hours, who take care of others and who harvest so little.
During his first internship, my friend noticed the extent of the tasks that will be asked of him. ” You’ll see. A school year is like a black hole. » In the education system, workloads are arduous and undermine the engagement of new graduates. Precariousness follows us for years. Even if there is a lack of employees, the proposed charges are unstable and offer no quality of life. What we are asking is not to solve all the problems, but to avoid adding to them.
If François Legault decided to leave his job tomorrow morning, several parties would volunteer to take over. In the health and education sector, there is no one. We want the respect we deserve. It is not with threats to the future of our children and false accusations about the harmful role of unions that we will succeed in recruiting workers. Our government is out of touch and the deals being offered are insulting. We want a government that believes in the value of our public services. We need listening, understanding and recognition.
Solidarity with the Common Front. Solidarity with public service workers.