News

Montréal – The day after the president/executive director of the Montréal West Island Integrated University Health and Social Services Centre (IUHSSC) left, interim director Lynne McVey seems to be following her predecessor’s old recipe for dealing with employees: empty rhetoric with no connection to realities on the ground, and unkept promises. That’s the conclusion drawn by the Alliance du personnel professionnel et technique de la santé et des services sociaux (APTS), given the memos issued by Ms. McVey.

From the union’s standpoint, there is no basis for talking about "solid foundations" at the IUHSSC when 62% of a crucial class of personnel is suffering from psychological distress related to work. The APTS had presented the findings of its survey of members to the IUHSSC’s Board of Directors on March 1, 2017, including the proportion of its members (62%) experiencing a high or very high level of psychological distress. "Since then, no concrete measures have been taken to improve the lot of employees," said Josée Asselin, the APTS provincial representative. "The employer promised to create a committee to promote greater well-being at work, which so far only exists on paper – with a very broad mandate and no budget."

Given the work overload and skyrocketing wait lists, the union also questions the interim director’s choice of terms when she talks about "continuing on the path of excellence" and "ensuring continuity." In youth protection, for example, at the Direction de la protection de la jeunesse, 80 families are currently waiting to be followed, and 281 children are waiting for an assessment. For youth workers, not being able to properly meet these children’s needs in a timely manner is taking its toll. In the past two years, close to a dozen experienced youth workers have left this department – resigning, taking sick leave, or changing departments. "There’s no cause for pride when children in distress are left without the support they need for more than four months because of a lack of resources," the union spokesperson asserted.

 To help and encourage its members, the APTS has submitted proposals at the local bargaining table that deal with professional practice and responsibilities, but the management bargaining team has rejected them out of hand. "If the new director really wants to "facilitate communication" as she claims, she should take off her blinders and be attentive to her employees, who are calling for management to actually listen and take the necessary action. Hello? Anybody there?"

The APTS

With 55,000 members, including 2,059 at the CIUSSS Montréal West Island, the APTS is an indispensable public-sector union in health and social services. It represents professionals and technicians in over a hundred job titles, in diagnostic services, rehabilitation, nutrition, psychosocial intervention, clinical support and prevention services.