Quebecers have made countless sacrifices to limit the pandemic’s impact. They have accepted significant restrictions on their freedom, placing their faith in government and following its directives. After all the soul-searching and questioning that this exceptional situation has evoked, and all the observations and conclusions calling for sweeping changes in the way we do things, the government’s uninspired proposal to get us out of the crisis is deeply dismaying.
On March 13, every aspect of our lives changed overnight. Our professional life and family/work balance were turned upside down, with our social life put on hold. Having to contend with a radical reorganization of our work is now a daily challenge. Could we dare to hope for positive changes that will endure?
Last March, Health and Social Services Minister Danielle McCann took strict measures to curb the pandemic. However noble the government’s intentions, its actions may come at a steep cost. By modifying the collective agreements of public-sector employees in health and social service facilities, the government upped the powers of managers to offset labour shortages that had been rampant in these facilities for far too long. Managers were given carte-blanche, with practically no safeguards to prevent them from taking shortcuts when implementing such measures in the bureaucratic behemoths that are now our integrated centres (CISSS and CIUSSS).
At the 8th APTS Convention held in Trois-Rivières, I had the privilege of being elected president of the APTS. It was a touching and humbling experience for me to accept this major challenge. As I take up my responsibilities, my values of teamwork and solidarity are front and centre, as is my commitment to work collaboratively with all the groups that form our union.
As partners in the upcoming public-sector negotiations, the APTS and the FIQ were united in their response to the unwelcome statements made by Premier François Legault.
In the fight to end tax havens and promote tax justice, the budget tabled by the Trudeau government on March 19, 2019 is a big disappointment.
The APTS obtained a meeting on February 11 with the deputy minister of health and social services, Lionel Carmant, to discuss the situation in youth centres and rehabilitation centres for those with intellectual disabilities and autism spectrum disorder.
At the end of January, with the federal budget fast approaching, the Collectif Échec aux paradis fiscaux addressed this letter to federal Liberal MPs in the hope of obtaining measures in the budget that would reflect a genuine will to eliminate tax havens.
In his inaugural address, Premier Legault alluded to the “demoralizing” effect that successive reforms, budget instability, rigid management and cumbersome administrative practices have had on health and social services personnel. If I’m not mistaken, that’s the first time a politician has acknowledged this.
For many weeks now, the APTS has put a great deal of effort into communications and mobilization work to arrive at agreements with your employers on the local provisions of your collective agreement.