WORKING CONDITIONS Archives

The secret to a strong health and social service system

4 March 2023 |

The discontent with the current state of the health and social service system is palpable. Given all the broken promises to Quebecers – to put an end to waiting lists and give everyone access to a family doctor – it’s little wonder government pledges to fix the problems with the health-care system are greeted with suspicion. In contrast to the threadbare solutions contained in the Legault government’s health-care reform plan (cost control, phony decentralization, expanding the role of the private sector, etc.), the APTS has a distinctly different vision for the health care and social service system. Our vision is outlined in our political platform and we’ll be promoting it with a campaign under the theme “A strong union for a strong public system.” It lays out the kind of health-care system Quebecers deserve and the principles that should guide any government that’s serious about making it better.

2023 contract talks: how can we win?

26 October 2022 |

Excitement is in the air at the APTS. We’ll be tabling our demands and launching the next round of public-sector contract talks in just a few days, and our whole organization is mobilized to make sure we’re ready. We asked APTS president Robert Comeau and APTS 1^st vice-president Josée Fréchette, political officer responsible for national bargaining talks, to share their thoughts just before this key moment in our union life.

“Professionals” and union action: chalk and cheese?

3 August 2021 |

Professionals and union action are commonly held to be incompatible. This deeply entrenched piece of conventional wisdom was challenged by Louise Boivin, professor at the Industrial Relations Department of the UQO (Université du Québec en Outaouais), at Comprendre pour choisir, the second edition of the APTS Carrefour des idées.

Residences with continuous assistance: reasserting the value of a critical mission

12 July 2021 |

Educators in residences with continuous assistance (RACs) have expert knowledge that can work wonders in helping service users adjust and cope in their rehabilitation process. Unfortunately, that expertise is still seriously undervalued and misunderstood. The following video highlights the roles played by these dedicated workers and the day-to-day realities of a system disconnected from the actual needs on the ground.

Psychological distress: who’ll take care of personnel in essential services?

12 June 2020 |

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).