A pay raise of 17.4% over five years has been negotiated for all employees in all sectors. In addition, there is a clause to protect purchasing power that could add up to 1% a year for each of the collective agreement’s final three years, for a maximum of 3%.These pay increases are retroactive to April 1, 2023. This means that if the deal is accepted, everyone’s pay will go up by 8.9% (compound effect of a 6% increase followed by a 2.8% increase) on April 1, 2024.

PLUS A CLAUSE TO PROTECT YOUR PURCHASING POWER

If inflation over the fiscal year (CPI from April to March) proves to be higher than the wage increase granted on April 1, wages will be adjusted by up to 1% in order to protect your purchasing power.

• Maximum age for participating in the RREGOP will increase from 69 to 71.
• Initial phased retirement plans may be extended from 5 to 7 years.

Starting with the 2024-2025 vacation period, the right to a 5th week of vacation leave will be acquired at an earlier moment, in accordance with the following rules:

Parental rights - a better balance for parents
• Before taking paternity or adoption leave, employees will be allowed to take leave without pay or part-time leave without pay. This leave may not, however, be taken before the child’s arrival in the home.
• One day will be added to days of special leave with pay that are granted when an employee is pregnant, bringing them up to 5.

Group insurance: an increase in the employer’s contribution
This contribution to the group insurance plan will increase by:
• $300 per year for participants insured for themselves and dependants (family or single-parent coverage);
• $150 per year for participants insured for themselves alone (individual coverage).

Significant increases in premiums for less desirable schedules
The percentage associated with these premiums will increase. They will now be organized in tiers, based on the number of hours worked per pay period, and will be paid when the inconvenience is actually incurred.

*Class 4 employees are eligible if they work in locations where care and services are provided 24/7, whether or not this is the case in their own activity centre.

Substantial improvements to premiums associated with specific settings or clients
• The percentage associated with the premiums will go up. They will now be organized in tiers based on the number of hours worked per pay period.
• A premium will be added for RACs and residential care units in CRDIs.
• The premium for employees working in youth centres will become permanent.
• The premium for working with clients who have severe behaviour disorders will become permanent.
• 5 floating days off per year will be added for full-time employees in correctional facilities. (Part-time employees will receive 2.2% of their salary rather than floating days off).
• There will be an increase in the lump-sum amount for working in CHSLDs (long-term care centres), and removal of the list of activity centres so that any employee working with clients in CHSLDs, Maisons des aînés, or alternative seniors’ residences is eligible.
• Brachytherapy (curietherapy) will be added to the list of activity centres where employees are eligible for the specific critical care premium.

The rate will go up to 200% for a full overtime shift on a weekend, subject to the following conditions:
• The weekend shift follows a regular work week.
• It is done in an activity centre where services are provided 24/7, and the employee has worked the number of hours associated with their job title.
• The employee follows a regular work schedule both 7 days before and 7 days after the overtime shift.

Other overtime measures will also be added:
• After 15 full weekend shifts of double rate overtime, it will be possible to convert double rate overtime into time off.
• Beginning with the 16th shift, it will be possible to be paid time and a half and accumulate one half-day of time off per shift, up to a maximum of 5 days per year.
• Employees must not take any time off during the 7 days prior to and following the overtime shift; otherwise, they will not be allowed to use that shift to qualify for, or accumulate, time off.

For employees holding a full-time position that requires membership in a professional order, 50% of the membership cost will be reimbursed, up to a maximum of $400 a year.

•Psychologists will receive a pay increase of 10% that will be taken into account by the RREGOP and that will replace the current retention premium.
• A 6.5% retention premium will be offered until March 30, 2028, for psychologists who work the full number of hours associated with their job title (70 hours or more).

A premium will be established for lawyers in the youth centre mission. The premium, ending on March 31, 2028, will be paid according to the same rules as the permanent premium given to others working in youth centres, that is, 10%, 7% or 6%, depending on the number of hours worked (see the table on premiums associated with specific settings or clients).
This premium cannot be combined with the lawyers’ retention premium (5%, 10%, or 15%) set out in Letter of Agreement No. 4 regarding the remuneration of employees with the job title of lawyer.

Only one change has been made to provisions regarding regional disparities: the food transportation allowance will be granted for Oujé-Bougoumou.
In the Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Côte-Nord, Gaspésie – Îles-de-la-Madeleine and Outaouais regions, the committee on employees working in certain territories facing acute problems of workforce availability will have an annual budget of $3M to deploy projects specifically intended for APTS members and designed to attract and retain employees.

Following an agreement with the employer, it will now be possible for groups of employees with the same job title to manage their own schedules.
• The team can agree on terms and conditions different from those set out in the collective agreement, but cannot change the positions’ key elements.
• The team can decide at any time to stop managing its schedules.

This option is associated with a rising-scale type premium for teams volunteering to manage their own schedules in 24/7 activity centres::
• $100 if the employee’s actual hours are equivalent to full time over 2 weeks;
• $200 if the employee’s actual hours are equivalent to full time during the 2 following weeks.
• Therefore, a total of $300 per month.

 Within an institution:

• $50 per day for a displacement of more than 20 km, but less than 100 km, from the home base;
• $100 per day for a displacement of more than 100 km from the home base.

To another institution:

• $50 per day for a displacement of less than 100 km from the home base;
• $100 per day for a displacement of more than 100 km from the home base.

The cost of a psychotherapy permit will be reimbursed, along with training expenses required to carry out the duties of certain job titles (clinical sexologist, criminologist, guidance counsellor, human relations officer, occupational therapist, psychoeducator, and social worker).

It will be possible to use up to 6 days of sick leave per year for personal reasons, subject to the same conditions as now: employees must give 24 hours’ notice, and their absence must not cause serious detriment to the activity centre’s operations.

Work-time arrangements
Atypical schedules
Work-time arrangements (atypical schedules, 4/32, schedules with leave arising from premium conversion) will be available on an individual and voluntary basis.
The employer must take seniority into account when granting work-time arrangements.

Voluntary extending of the work week to 37.5 hours
This measure is intended for the following job titles which involve work in mental health:
• social worker
• psychoeducator
• occupational therapist
• criminologist
• clinical sexologist
• guidance counsellor
Employee and employer may agree to extend the work week to 37.5 hours following the rules defined by local parties.

Work in inter-round committees | Retirement, parental rights, OHS, mental health and more
Your union team and the employer will continue to work together on a number of provincial committees once the collective agreement is signed. The APTS will be the only union on some committees, while others will be inter-union committees.

Your union team and the employer will continue to work together on a number of provincial committees once the collective agreement is signed. The APTS will be the only union on some committees, while others will be inter-union committees.

INTER-UNION COMMITTEES WILL ADDRESS:

• retirement,
• parental rights,
• the Act to modernize the occupational health and safety regime,
• working conditions of employees with the lawyer job title in health and social services,
• mental health measures,
• integration of employees from Indigenous communities.

APTS COMMITTEES WILL ADDRESS:

• workload and psychosocial risks,
• professional issues specific to professionals and technicians in health and social services,
• ways of improving youth workers’ practices and reducing their administrative workload,
• regions facing acute problems of workforce availability,
• employees’ overall health.