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Montréal  ̶   Québec’s largest health and social service unions have formed a new “Common Front” to denounce the government’s cavalier attitude to workers in the public system, and its refusal to honour the commitments it made during the last bargaining talks.

François Legault’s government is still failing to comply with the collective agreements and pay equity agreements that it signed in 2024. Thousands of workers are deprived of substantial sums that have been owed to them for months. These workers are holding the full weight of the system on their shoulders, and their situation is now even more precarious.

The government won’t even implement clauses embodying the “big negotiation priorities” that it had demanded!

The government must honour its signature

While all labour organizations did not sign their most recent collective agreement at the same time, all are affected one way or another, whether it’s that new premiums aren’t paid, new measures regarding overtime or work-time arrangements aren’t implemented, or even that the government is refusing to apply the new salary rates set out in pay equity agreements. The government is simply encouraging cynicism among workers, who nonetheless continue to hope that their working conditions will improve.

It’s time for this charade to end!

Quotes

“This is ridiculous! The government is blaming private firms that handle its payroll for delays in payment. François Legault’s government of wheeler-dealers is demonstrating its inability to manage anything – agreements in principle were reached a year ago, and workers are still waiting for the money they’re owed.”

- Réjean Leclerc, president, Fédération de la santé et des services sociaux (FSSS-CSN)

“Professionals and technicians in the health care system fought a difficult battle throughout the last bargaining talks so that their expertise would be recognized and valued. They came back to work in good faith, trusting the government to honour its side of the agreement. They’ve now completely lost patience. It’s more than time for the government to pay up.”

- Jessica Goldschleger, president, Fédération des professionnèles (FP-CSN)

“The government is imposing austerity on the health and social services system by establishing hiring freezes, abolishing positions, and deciding not to replace staff – and yet it’s still paying premiums and bonuses to the people managing and heading institutions.”

- Fanny Demontigny, president, Conseil provincial des affaires sociales (CPAS-CUPE Québec)

“The government keeps on demanding more from professionals, technicians, and everyone who works for the public system. Then when the time comes to honour its commitments and pay what’s owed, we see that it’s dragging its feet. This is an insult to people who dedicate themselves to serving Quebecers, and we won’t let it go by.”

- Robert Comeau, president, Alliance du personnel professionnel et technique de la santé et des services sociaux (APTS)

“Santé Québec is unable to pay the money owed to workers, and yet it’s spending $3 million on contracts with private firms to provide it with advice. Wasn’t the agency supposed to be headed by “top guns”? It’s pretty obvious they’re overpaid.”

- Sylvie Nelson, president, Syndicat québécois des employées et employés de service (SQEES-FTQ)

“The government sold us a whole new range of options for our members. And now, institutions are telling us that these options can’t be implemented! This is the solution that was put forward – that people could organize their work shift differently if they wanted to. But the difference between what was promised and what’s being put into practice is day and night.”

- Isabelle Dumaine, president, Fédération de la santé du Québec (FSQ-CSQ)

About the unions

The FSSS-CSN, CUPE Québec, APTS, SQEES, FP-CSN and FSQ-CSQ represent over 385,000 unionized workers.

SOURCES:

FSSS-CSN, APTS, SQEES-FTQ, FP-CSN, FSQ-CSQ, CANADIAN UNION OF PUBLIC EMPLOYEES – QUÉBEC (FTQ)