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Longueuil – Responding to the tabling of Bill 101 by labour minister Jean Boulet, the APTS (Alliance du personnel professionnel et technique de la santé et des services sociaux) said that the bill includes both promising measures to reduce arbitration delays and unacceptable rules regarding prevention and participation in occupational health and safety. 

The APTS is sharply critical of the government’s intention to impose a special set of rules in health, social services and education – all sectors where women make up the majority – for implementing prevention and participation mechanisms set out in the Occupational Health and Safety Act, and to postpone the mechanisms’ long-awaited coming into force.

“Minister Boulet is undermining his own reform of occupational health and safety by developing a two-track system,” said APTS president Robert Comeau. “He wants the government to be free of the legal obligations he’s imposing on other employers. Are women employed in public services not entitled to the same prevention mechanisms as sectors where men make up the majority? This is outrageous.”

Every year, the health and social services system is one of the sectors with the highest number of health and safety incidents. Prevention is key to protecting not only employees, but also the quality of services provided to Quebecers.

Reducing arbitration delays: a step in the right direction that needs to take concrete form 
The APTS, which has developed a unique expertise in defending grievances, expressed support for the aim of shortening the grievance arbitration process – a crucial issue for health and social service employees. Bill 101 says that an arbitrator must be appointed within six months of a grievance being filed, and that a hearing must take place within the year. It also introduces stricter rules about preparing for hearings and says that mediation must be considered.

“Reducing arbitration delays is a step in the right direction to make sure our members’ rights are respected,“ added Robert Comeau. “But the government should also try to prevent conflicts from escalating into legal disputes, and it must have sufficient resources – including a sufficient number of active arbitrators – to make sure these timelines are actually followed.”

The APTS will carry out a detailed analysis of the many changes introduced by the bill in order to suggest improvements to MNAs and challenge the most troubling setbacks. 

The APTS
The APTS (Alliance du personnel professionnel et technique de la santé et des services sociaux) represents more than 65,000 members who play a key role in ensuring that health and social services institutions run smoothly. Our members provide a wide range of services for all Quebecers, including diagnostic, rehabilitation, nutrition, psychosocial intervention, clinical support, and prevention services.