The Minister responsible for Social Services Lionel Carmant justifies the use of personnel placement agencies in youth centers by an “explosion” of overflow units, due to an increase in requests, as well as by his government’s desire to avoid time additional mandatory for its employees. He believes that the new collective agreements, soon to come into force, will make it possible to repatriate independent labor into the public network.
The duty revealed Thursday that the use of personnel placement agencies has exploded in youth centers and group homes in Montreal. Specialized educators and private intervention agents worked more than 185,000 hours there from 1er April 2023 to March 31, 2024, almost two and a half times more than the previous year. Amount of the bill: $11.8 million.
Questioned by Québec solidaire on this subject in the chamber on Thursday, Minister Lionel Carmant acknowledged that calling on independent labor is “not the ideal solution”, but that it is “the solution for the moment “. “The other option would have been to ask for mandatory overtime,” he said. And everyone in government is trying to reduce it. »
Earlier in the press scrum on Thursday, Lionel Carmant indicated that the number of young people in youth centers has increased in recent years. “The pandemic has knocked down a lot of parents with children with special needs,” he said. They needed help. »
According to his office, however, the situation has improved recently. The CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l’Île-de-Montréal, which manages youth centers and group homes in Montreal, has “hired more educators than there have been departures”. The firm also argues that 87% of people hired “remain” in this CIUSSS.
Lionel Carmant emphasizes that social services also try to “bring back to the public” professionals who have left the network for the private sector. At the CIUSSS Centre-Sud-de-l’Île-de-Montréal, nearly 260 agency workers had been repatriated as of April 10, including 32 educators as of March 21.
“In the new agreement, there have been significant increases for educators,” added the minister in the press scrum. Educators are people who can be considered as [des travailleurs] 24/7. They will also be entitled to bonuses. » Lionel Carmant calculates that youth center workers will be able to make up to $20,000 more. According to him, this new convention “will change the situation a little”.
From October 20, Quebec will prohibit health establishments in Montreal, Laval, Montérégie, Capitale-Nationale and Chaudière-Appalaches from using the services of a personnel placement agency. Other regions will benefit from a longer deadline, which may extend until October 18, 2026.
More details to come…