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Laval – Robert Comeau was elected by acclamation as president of the APTS (Alliance du personnel professionnel et technique de la santé et des services sociaux) before some 750 delegates at the union’s convention, which took place from November 15 to 18. Comeau, who has been interim APTS president for several months, now begins a two-year term of office.

“It’s an honour to be entrusted with the responsibility of leading the APTS, and I accept it with humility,” said Comeau. “We’ll be working full out with our team to make sure the voice of our 60,000 members is heard and their contribution is respected. We’ll be taking every opportunity, and there will be plenty. Bills will be tabled by the government. We have demands to improve Quebecers’ universal access to free health and social services. And as a labour union, it’s our job to make sure that the employees we represent can carry out their professional duties under the best conditions of work and practice.” Quoting the theme of the Convention, Comeau added: “‘Together, stronger’ is how we’ll be able to meet these challenges.”

The new APTS president is a medical imaging technologist who started work at the Trois-Rivières CSS (Centre de santé et de services sociaux) in 1992. He was elected political liaison officer in the newly formed APTS in 2004 and was then twice reelected to this position, which he held until 2010. He helped organize the founding APTS Convention in 2006, and has held several different positions on the Executive Committee since 2010.

Comeau will be supported by a diverse team that includes both experienced members and new blood. Together, they will ensure that the voice of professionals and technicians in health and social services is heard.

• Josée Fréchette, 1st vice-president
• Émilie Charbonneau, 2nd vice-president
• Benoit Audet, 3rd vice-president
• Sandra Étienne, 4th vice-president
• Joël Bélanger, 5th vice-president
• Caroline Marquis, secretary
• Sébastien Pitre, treasurer

A political platform is adopted

Convention delegates voted massively in favour of the union’s first political platform, which is based on three key elements: taking care of ourselves; taking care of our community; taking care of the environment and mobilizing to prevent its destruction.

“As a labour organization, our first duty is to protect our members,” said Comeau as the Convention came to an end. “That means we also have work to do as an actor in civil society. There’s a fight both to achieve greater social justice in Québec and to reduce the impact of climate change, and we’re committed to actively pursuing both of those goals.”

Delegates also elected 19 provincial representatives who will give voice to the concerns and needs of professionals and technicians in almost every institution in the public health and social services system, and who will communicate APTS Provincial Council decisions to those employees in each institution.

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.