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Montréal – The Alliance du personnel professionnel et technique de la santé et des services sociaux (APTS) signed its new collective agreement with the Québec government this morning.  The new contract comes into effect on January 30, 2022. This concludes more than two years of contract talks in the midst of a public health crisis that has exposed the fragility of the entire health and social services system -- and the work overload borne by employees who are struggling to keep our public system going. This collective agreement covers the period from April 1, 2020 to March 31, 2023.

“We’ve been pushing non-stop for better working conditions for all professionals and technicians in the health and social services sector. Thanks to their unprecedented mobilization and the tireless work of our union representatives and staff, we have a new contract that offers better working conditions and conditions of practice. But the pandemic has made it clear that we have to keep up the pressure to ensure that our members’ expertise is duly recognized and that Quebecers receive quality care and services free of charge. A public system that’s accessible and caring can provide that,” declared APTS president Robert Comeau, as he left the Treasury Board’s office in Montréal.

The APTS fought not only for its members, but for all technicians and professionals working in health and social services. The gains made by the APTS after taking strike action and returning to the bargaining table in the fall improved working conditions in all health and social service institutions – even after other union organizations had ratified their agreements in principle and signed new collective agreements. A case in point is the gain we won for youth centre workers, giving them the option of converting premiums into time off. Another example is the added gain of lump-sum amounts for laboratory and medical imaging employees.

“This round of bargaining is now behind us. We’re gearing up for the next round that will kick off this fall when we table our demands with the Québec government in October. Once again, our focus will be to ensure that everyone we represent, in all job titles and all areas of the health and social services system, obtains due recognition for the value of their work. Our members’ diversity is our strength. Together, we’ll attain the highest gains for professional and technical employees,” concluded Robert Comeau.

In the coming days, the APTS will be informing its members of the terms and conditions for implementing the new contract’s provisions, including those covering the various lump-sum payments and retroactive salary.  

The APTS

The APTS (Alliance du personnel professionnel et technique de la santé et des services sociaux) represents a total of 60,000 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 the population as a whole, including diagnostic, rehabilitation, nutrition, psychosocial intervention, clinical support, and prevention services.