News

Longueuil – Almost a month after the deadline set for adjustment and payment of premiums granted as a result of the last contract talks, the APTS (Alliance du personnel professionnel et technique de la santé et des services sociaux) is sharply critical of the government’s inability to honour its commitments to workers in the health and social service system, and denounces the impact of this inability on services provided to Quebecers. 

“Given the current state of our public system, it’s infuriating to see that working conditions duly obtained through negotiation are being set aside and postponed under the pretext of information technology problems,” said APTS president Robert Comeau. “Especially when we see the red carpet being rolled out for the so-called top guns of Santé Québec, who have been given 10% increases. The premiums to be adjusted are a form of acknowledgement and incentive for our members, who are ready to provide essential services in more difficult settings or with less favourable schedules such as evening, night, or weekend shifts. But these premiums will have no effect as long as they are not paid.” 

The premiums that still require adjustment involve amounts ranging from 3.5% to 18% of the salary of employees working 70 hours or more per pay period. These are significant amounts in the context of today’s cost-of-living crisis. 

“Despite our repeated interventions and the actions we’ve undertaken, payroll departments still haven’t budged,” added APTS vice-president Joël Bélanger. “If the government wants to improve the quality of services and make them more accessible, the first thing it needs to do is to take seriously the commitments it made to over 65,000 APTS members, and pay them the amounts to which they’re entitled. Being an employer of choice has got to involve keeping your promises.”

Adjustments to premiums, and their retroactive payment, were supposed to take place no later than October 5, 2024. In every institution where the employer has not yet paid APTS members the amounts they are owed, actions have been undertaken to ensure that these amounts are paid, with interest, as soon as possible. 

 

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.