The Minister of Health, Christian Dubé, hit the FIQ “in the jugular” and “poured out his anti-union gall” during a press conference he gave last November to try to bring nurses back into the public network, due to staff shortages due to COVID.
This is what one of the lawyers for the Interprofessional Health Federation (FIQ) pleaded on Monday before the Administrative Labor Tribunal.
The Tribunal hears the complaint for bad faith bargaining and obstruction of union activities against the Government of Quebec, based on Ministerial Order 071 and the statements of Minister Dubé. The parties have now reached the pleadings stage.
The FIQ criticizes the fact that Ministerial Order 071 provided for various bonuses and measures, totaling $1 billion, to bring full-time nurses back into the public network, without this having been negotiated with the unions, which are nevertheless the bargaining agents . These premiums had been decided unilaterally by Quebec.
Moreover, at the time, the FIQ had just negotiated the renewal of its collective agreement, with clauses to create more full-time positions. And she had been told that there was no more money in the state coffers, that she had gone after what the government could give.
The FIQ is therefore seeking to demonstrate that by acting in this way, the government undermined its credibility with its members, publicly attacked it at a press conference, negotiated in bad faith and hindered its activities.
To see in video