(Quebec) In the midst of negotiations, Minister Christian Dubé sows astonishment in the union world by proposing to reshuffle the job categories of the 330,000 workers in the health network. “This is the last thing the system needs,” retort the unions.
“We don’t see anything good in this reshuffling,” reacted the president of the CSN, Caroline Senneville. “What the government is putting on the table is a long raiding campaign […] when I say we don’t need that, that’s it, we don’t need that,” argued the trade unionist who represents some 120,000 workers in the health and social services network.
Furthermore, she believes that Mr. Dubé is creating “a zone of turbulence” in the difficult context of the negotiations while strike days have just been added by the common union front and the FIQ.
“Today, we are mainly in astonishment mode rather than reaction mode,” said FIQ president Julie Bouchard in a statement, referring to “a 180-degree turnaround.” The largest nurses’ union has no less than 80,000 members in category 1 alone.
PHOTO EDOUARD PLANTE-FRÉCHETTE, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Julie Bouchard, president of the FIQ
“We don’t see the added value in that, we don’t understand it […] we don’t see the point in this movement,” lamented the secretary-treasurer of the CSQ, Luc Beauregard.
The Minister of Health tabled a series of new amendments on Tuesday to the vast Bill 15, which will create Santé Québec. The future state-owned company will become the sole employer in the health network and will have the effect of merging local collective agreements. The law was to move the current 136 negotiation tables to four large national tables, established according to the four job categories.
However, Christian Dubé chose to reshuffle the categories, increasing them from four to six. This means, for example, that technicians and specialized support professionals in cardio-respiratory care, such as respiratory therapists and perfusionists – who are currently grouped with nurses and practical nurses (category 1) – would have their own collective agreement.
The Minister of Health is also cleaning up category 2 where there are currently beneficiary attendants and maintenance staff. “We are also creating another category, among others for psychologists and all care staff who were more concerned with the question of technicians,” added the minister.
The four current health job categories
- Category 1: Nursing and cardiorespiratory care personnel
- Category 2: Paratechnical personnel, auxiliary and trade services
- Category 3: Office staff, technicians and administrative professionals
- Category 4: Health and social services technicians and professionals
New categories according to the proposed amendments
- Category 1: Nursing personnel (nurses and practical nurses)
- Category 2: Operational support and trades staff (painters, carpenters)
- Category 3: Clinical care support staff (beneficiary attendants)
- Category 4: Administrative support staff (administrative agents)
- Category 5: Technicians and professionals in health and social services (archivists, lawyers)
- Category 6: Technicians and specialized support professionals in cardio-respiratory care (respiratory therapists, perfusionists)
“Easier” for differentiated offers
The minister explains his decision by the fact that it will be “easier” in the future to present differentiated offers to the unions. This is a knot that the President of the Treasury Board, Sonia LeBel, is trying to undo as part of the current negotiations. Quebec wants to be able to offer more advantageous conditions to nurses who work unfavorable shifts, for example.
Mr. Dubé replies that he listened to the unions by postponing the entry into force of this merger. Indeed, an amendment proposed by the minister provides that the change will not be effective upon the creation of Santé Québec (six months after the adoption of the law), but will rather be determined by decree, which leaves time to discuss what happens next with the union side.
The unions affirmed on the contrary having been presented with “a fait accompli” during a meeting with members of the minister’s office last Friday.