Medical imaging at risk for service breaks in the Outaouais region | APTS and Québec government reach agreement aiming for parity with Ontario

April 30, 2024

Longueuil – Faced with a looming break in medical imaging services in the Outaouais region, the APTS (Alliance du personnel professionnel et technique de la santé et des services sociaux) says that it has reached an agreement with the Québec government that is intended to achieve a degree of parity with Ontario in terms of overall remuneration.

“This agreement is good news for the Outaouais region, which was at risk of being deprived of essential services,” said APTS president Robert Comeau. “We’ve been saying for a long time that major measures to attract and retain personnel are needed if we want to solve the labour shortage. We hope this agreement will prove our point. With competitive conditions like these, employees will be there to provide services for Quebecers. This is an opportunity for the government to learn something that could benefit all of the regions experiencing acute labour shortages.”

The agreement establishes incentives to reach a degree of parity with Ontario in terms of overall remuneration. It includes a 10% pay increase during the summer and a yearly $22,000 lump sum, both of these for people undertaking to work an additional 2.5 hours per week. These measures will be offered for the next two years to professionals and technicians employed in medical imaging in the Hull and Gatineau hospitals.

“We welcome this agreement for the medical imaging sector in the Outaouais,” said Christine Prégent, APTS provincial representative for the Outaouais. “APTS members in our region have been raising the alarm for years as we saw our expertise leave Québec to work on the other side of the Ottawa river. Our situation as a border area is finally being taken into account. But we’re worried about other regions, including rural areas where the exodus is just as massive – something will have to be done for them. We need to set up overall solutions rather than put out fires when the blaze is out of control. The APTS is ready to keep on working with the government to ensure the future of services in our region.”

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.