FIQ representatives were called “sold out” by some of their members, were asked if they had received bribes to have the agreement in principle on the renewal of the collective agreement accepted, after Quebec announced that it was ready to devote 1 billion to measures aimed at bringing nurses back into the public network.
Posted at 3:25 p.m.
This is what the vice-president of the Interprofessional Health Federation (FIQ), Patrick Guay, told the Administrative Labor Tribunal on Thursday.
The Tribunal hears the complaint of the FIQ, which alleges interference in union activities and bad faith negotiation on the part of the Government of Quebec, because of Ministerial Order 071. This provided for various measures to bring nurses back full-time in the public network, including bonuses of $15,000.
The FIQ also bases its complaints on statements made by the Minister of Health and Social Services, Christian Dubé, which damaged the credibility of the union organization, “weakened” it, even “shaken it”, testified the one who was interim president of the FIQ, Nathalie Lévesque.
These attraction and retention bonuses had not been negotiated. The FIQ learned of it during the Quebec government’s press conference in the fall of 2021. However, it had just concluded an agreement with Quebec on the renewal of its collective agreement.
“Empty the bag”
Two witnesses from the FIQ said that when the agreement in principle was finally reached with Quebec, after months of negotiation, they were told that there was no more money in the coffers, that the FIQ had “emptied the bag”.
And the representatives of the FIQ had reported this government statement to their members, when they had to vote on this agreement in principle.
However, it was in the weeks that followed that Quebec announced, at a press conference, that it was ready to devote $1 billion to various measures to bring nurses back into the public network.
The FIQ representatives were then sharply criticized by local unions and members, reported Mr. Guay. They were being criticized for not getting that extra billion dollars during the negotiation of the collective agreement.
What’s more, Minister Dubé made matters worse by affirming, during a press conference, that if these bonuses did not arouse so much interest, it was because of the FIQ, which told its members not to sign anything. The Minister had also affirmed that the FIQ was demanding the $15,000 bonuses for the union delegates, even before wanting to discuss the bonuses for the nurses in the field.
The loss of credibility of the FIQ was then “enormous”, said Mr. Guay. The information that was now given to members was in doubt, said Mr.me Levesque. “A climate of mistrust has settled in at all levels of the organization. »