The FIQ completed its tour of demonstrations in front of MPs’ offices on Tuesday, while its negotiations with Quebec have intensified since last week.
The Interprofessional Health Federation, which represents 80,000 nurses, practical nurses, respiratory therapists and clinical perfusionists, or 90% of them, has been in conciliation for several months already.
However, these negotiations intensified last week and are still taking place intensively this week.
Until now, discussions were blocked by Quebec’s request to impose “compulsory travel” on nurses, changing them according to the needs of the care unit, or even the health establishment, according to the FIQ.
Quebec publicly stated that it did not want to impose such trips, but kept them voluntary. But the FIQ emphasized that voluntary travel is already permitted in collective agreements. She therefore criticized Quebec for wanting to impose these trips on nurses, regardless of what the government said publicly.
Still, the FIQ believes it has detected a change in tone from Quebec in public statements on the subject recently.
The vice-president of the FIQ, Françoise Ramel, however, refrains from applauding too quickly, affirming that the devil is often in the details and that we must see the texts and what is agreed at the negotiating table.