THE APTS IN GENERAL COUNCIL

THE APTS IN GENERAL COUNCIL
THE APTS IN GENERAL COUNCIL | NOVEMBER 2-3-4 and 18, 2015 | LONGUEUIL | MONTRÉAL | VOLUME 9 | NUMBER 1
KEEPING OUR FOOTING IN A CHANGING ENVIRONMENT
In 25 years of union activism, I can’t count the number of times I’ve said “Negotiations are dynamic.” And
I keep repeating that, given what we’ve been witnessing first-hand these past few weeks. This dynamic reality
was what led us to call two General Council meetings in quick succession. On November 2-4 and November 18,
approximately 250 delegates met in Longueuil and Montréal to receive progress reports on the issues, particularly those at the bargaining table, and decide where we go from here. This newsletter is by no means a full account.
It offers you an overview of the main orientations that were decided.
In light of the less than open attitude of the chairman of the Treasury
Board, the delegation decided to engage in visibility actions and
administrative disruptions (voicemail messages and e-mail signatures), parallel to negotiations at the bargaining table, and to
include an additional pressure tactic: refraining from entering
statistics electronically. The APTS proposes that members stop
entering statistics via the designated software, only enter statistics
by hand, and only hand them over to the employer upon request.
Everyone with a job title that involves filling out statistics is invited
to take part.
According to the latest news, we’ve decided in the Common Front
to file a counterproposal, and postpone the strike days planned for
December 1, 2 and 3 in order to help move things forward at the
bargaining table on this new basis.
The General Council on November 18 mandated the APTS to explain
to the other members of the Common Front why we find it important to continue with our strike days. The necessary explanations
were given to our partners. The Common Front members decided
together to suspend the strike days that had been planned, in order
to take into account rapid developments at the bargaining table,
where the negotiators have been seriously picking up the pace for
the past few days. The bargaining team is ready day and night to
negotiate with management.
Check the Common Front newsletter Info Négo to find out more
about the proposals and counterproposals from both sides.
Notes in case files must nonetheless be maintained so that patients
don’t suffer any negative consequences. This action gives members
latitude to exercise clinical judgment, and must be conducted in
keeping with their ethical and professional duties. It also stands as a
reminder to the government that the priority for APTS members is to
ensure direct services to patients, and that they are sick and tired of
having to shoulder the heavy administrative tasks imposed on them.
Some local units will also be suggesting additional tactics to their
members that have a disruptive economic impact, such as boycotting their institution’s cafeteria and parking lot.
For any question about pressure tactics, contact your local representatives. It’s important to note that if any dispute arises as a result of
pressure tactics, the APTS will be there to defend its members.
To follow developments at the bargaining table in greater detail,
go to the 32 000 Indispensables website.
THE APTS IN GENERAL COUNCIL | NOVEMBER 2-3-4 and 18, 2015 | LONGUEUIL | MONTRÉAL | VOLUME 9 | NUMBER 1
ASSESSMENT OF OUR STRIKE DAYS
The delegation gave a positive assessment of our strike days. First,
because the extensive media coverage was generally sympathetic
to public-sector workers. If the number of people who honked their
horns in support was any indication, a segment of the population
shares our view that if the government has money for Bombardier,
MNAs, and physicians, it should be able to cough up enough to pay
public employees a decent salary.
Second, because our members’ excellent level of mobilization is
something to be proud of. The APTS was highly visible thanks to the
blue flags everywhere on the picket lines! The teams were exceptionally dynamic and creative.
FLASH
MOB
HIGHLIGHTING
THE GRÈVE
FROZEN STATE OF NEGOTIATIONS
BILAN
DES
JOURS DE
L’importante couverture média a été globalement favorable aux
syndiqués. À en juger par les nombreux coups de klaxon, une part
de laNovember
population4,faitthe
le même
nous : siaction
le gouvernement
On
APTS constat
held aque
surprise
inside the
La délégation a dressé un bilan positif des journées de grève.
Longueuil–Université de Sherbrooke metro station. Early that
morning, a majority of the 200 General Council delegates virtually
froze on the spot for a few minutes to attract the public’s attention
to the public-sector wage freeze proposed by the government and
the frozen state of negotiations at the bargaining table. This flash
mob was captured on video and viewed more than 88,000 times
via Facebook. If you haven’t had a chance to see it yet, go to our
Facebook page (video section), or to our 32000indispensables.com
website.
MOBILIZATION ON THE NORTH SHORE
The APTS General Council is up-to-date on this issue and had
already passed a resolution supporting workers in the region. An
exemplary level of inter-union mobilization made it possible to enlist
the support of the municipalities and the citizenry.
On November 4, our political liaison
officer for the Côte-Nord, Sylvain Sirois,
briefed the delegation on the Treasury
Board’s intention to cancel the retention premium for workers in Sept-Îles
and Port-Cartier. The premium had been
granted for 40 years in remote regions.
This measure was part of the initial
management proposal, and represents a $4,000 drop in annual income
for each of the 2,500 employees in
question.
Since that presentation at the General Council meeting, a new offer
from the Treasury Board is now on the table, which would put off
cancelling the premium until 2020. Despite the fact that it’s only a
partial success, this is a well-deserved victory for our co-workers on
the North Shore!
2
THE APTS IN GENERAL COUNCIL | NOVEMBER 2-3-4 and 18, 2015 | LONGUEUIL | MONTRÉAL | VOLUME 9 | NUMBER 1
WWW.LE PRESTO VA SAUTER
Certain campaigns led by the APTS especially pique the interest of
journalists. The issue of camouflaged wait lists not only had the media
talking about the APTS, it got a reaction out of health minister Barrette as
well. In the face of various examples of subterfuge used by managers to
make wait lists disappear, Gaétan Barrette announced that he wanted more
details. As part of our campaign Le presto va sauter (the pressure cooker’s
going to blow), the APTS is gathering relevant information on management
ploys to eliminate wait lists without offering the quality of care that the
population needs.
Obsession des stats,
pression à la performance
LISTES D’ATTENTES CACHÉES
LE PRESTO
VA SAUTER!
STRIKE NEWS ALSO HAPPENING ON FACEBOOK
32 000
!
E
K
I
R
T
S
N
O
The APTS has a number of pages on Facebook. In addition
to the provincial page, you can count on 14 regional
Facebook pages to keep you informed of union events
connected to your institution. These regional pages have
had an unprecedented volume of activity in the past few
weeks. Ever since the outcome of the strike vote was
announced, a number of our members are now going on their
regional Facebook page to follow developments in negotiations. There’s been an upsurge in the number of visits, and
active members are taking part by posting a lot of photos
from the picket lines. We invite you to continue to share
your impressions, personal accounts and photos via our
different Facebook pages.
GROUP INSURANCE
As is the case every year at this time, the General Council adopted the report outlining the results of the negotiations for APTS members’
group insurance rates. The details of these results and the changes to the group insurance plans for 2016 will be presented in the December
issue of The APTS Review. A change in long-term disability insurance was adopted by delegates. For any new disability reported on or after
January 1, 2016, benefits will be paid until the person turns 65, rather than ending at age 60.
3
THE APTS IN GENERAL COUNCIL | NOVEMBER 2-3-4 and 18, 2015 | LONGUEUIL | MONTRÉAL | VOLUME 9 | NUMBER 1
IN WHOLEHEARTED SOLIDARITY
THOUGHTS AND ACTION IN SUPPORT
OF INDIGENOUS WOMEN
Based on a resolution put forward by the president of the local
executive at the CISSS de la Vallée-de-l’Or, the assembly voted
to give financial support to an organization that helps indigenous
women in Val-d’Or. Created two years ago, the Gîte L’Autre porte
supports Native women in taking steps to regain control over their
lives, particular those who have turned to prostitution. It also does
prevention work with girls who are at risk of falling into that trap.
The funds collected among the delegates, along with donations
from members from Val-d’Or and the APTS provincial structures,
came to total of about $1,800.
Jacques-Michel Audet, president of the local APTS executive at the
CISSS de la Vallée-de-l’Or, put forward a resolution in support of
indigenous women in Val-d’Or.
RESOLUTION TO SUPPORT THE STRIKE
BY COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS
General Council delegates expressed their
solidarity with the 1,200 community organizations that took strike action on November
2 and 3. These partners in the public health
and social services system are being battered
by austerity measures. Their funding is more
precarious than ever, despite the fact that the
government is relying on them to take on more
and more responsibilities. The APTS issued a
media release to publicize its support.
BLUE RIBBON CAMPAIGN
On November 20, National Child Day, the General Council voted to mark the
importance of respecting the rights of children as stipulated in the UN Declaration
on the Rights of the Child (1959) and in the UN Convention on the Rights of the
Child (1989), by inviting its members and the general public to wear a blue ribbon.
4
TOUS
ENSEMBLE
THE APTS IN GENERAL COUNCIL | NOVEMBER 2-3-4 and 18, 2015 | LONGUEUIL | MONTRÉAL | VOLUME 9 | NUMBER 1
AU
CIUSSS DE
L’ESTRIE
APTS STRUCTURES
Diane Gosselin, Jardins-Rousillon
Delegates continued their deliberations on the new political
representation structures that the APTS wants to develop, to
take into account the desire for renewal expressed by General
Council delegates over the past few years and the new configuration of our health-care system. Discussions at the General Council
meeting in early November focused more specifically on the
transitional structures that have to be put in place before we adopt
a new Constitution that formalizes a more permanent organizational model. The new Constitution will be adopted at the Convention in the fall of 2017.
TOUS
Karine Rivet, Haut-St-Laurent
ENSEMBLE
CISSS DE LA
Marc Lapointe, du Suroît
Discussions in General Council meetings, regional consultations and
other forums confirmed the importance of an interim phase to facilitate a better transition from the point at which we obtain new APTS
certification in integrated centres to the time we adopt a new structure at the 2017 Convention. This transitional phase will enable us
to carve out a place for all the former institutions that make up the
integrated centres, build a dynamic local union life that is adapted
to the new environment (particularly for local negotiations), familiarize ourselves with the concerns of our new members, and
integrate them in developing the new APTS structures.
AU
MONTÉRÉGIEOUEST
3
2
1
4
www.aptsq.com
The document submitted to delegates will be updated and made
available soon.
TOUS
TOUS
TOUS
S
S
U
U
O
O
T
T
S
U
EN
SEM
TOwork plan isLunfolding
BL
MBLE
E
ENSE
As you can see, the
as
it
should.
E
E
E
L
L
NSEMBLE
B EENSEMB ENSEMB AU
AU
AU
TOUS MBLEENSEM AU
AU
AU
CIUSSS DE CIUSSS DE
CIUSSS DE
DE CIUSSS DE
S
S
TOUSEMBLE ENSE
S
IU
C
DE
S
L’ESTRIE
S
S
L’ESTRIE
IU
L’E
C
STRIE
S
E
E
U
RI
RI
A
ST
ST
N
L’E
L’E
E
S DE L’ESTRIE
S
S
U
I
C
AU
S DE L’ESTRIE
CIUSTSRSIE
Karine Therrien, Sept-Îles
l’Or
Audet, Vallée-de-
François Corbeil,
Côte-de-Gaspé
Luc Verreault, Manicouagan
Geneviève Angers,
Maimonides
CH gériatrique
Cavendish
Hélène Whittom, Minganie
Baie-des-Chaleurs
Richard Breault,
H. général juif
Isabelle Furlotte, Montmagny-L’Islet
Aurores Boréales
Louise Laroch
France Lizotte, Beauce
Véronique Tessier,
Centre Miriam
rable
aska-et-de-l’É
e, Arthab
Pierre Allard,
Nathalie Riverin,
Nathalie
Jacques-Michel
Patrick Durivage,
Coaticook
MRC de
Magnin,
Carole
eraie
La Pomm
Hémond,
Michael
CR Estrie
Brien,
aine-du
rd, Dom
, IUGS
Boucha
Mohamed El Morabit, L’Hématite
t-Maurice
de Besré
Chicou
elle,
timi
Mireille
Cindy Pépin, Etchemins
ivières
au, Trois-R
Angèle Courte
s
St-Françoi
, Haut-
Alain Fortin
delaine
ia-Chap
au, Mar
Cousine
Alain
re
Jonquiè
Brie,
rcé
Marie-Josée Pamerleau, Port-Cartier
ette, Haut-S
Marie-Clau
Isab
Serge
2
1
3
1
3
4
2
3
2
5
om
ptsq.c
www.a
2
1
Nadia Ringuet, Chaudières-Appalaches
H. Mont-Sinaï
CHUS
t
Jean-Es
Louise Moriss
Lac-Stblay,
Lafrance,
Trem
Danielle Lynch,
Rachel
, Rouyn-Noranda
nçois
Manon
1
3
1
6
1
4
4
GASPÉSIE
5
4
2
2
3
2
4
Line Pomerleau
Val-St-Fra
ault,
Lyne Boissonne
e
CR Constance-Lethbridg
Leclerc,
laveau
3
Julie Martel, Rocher-Pe
ond
Nancy
phas-C
-Roy
de la Montagne
cher, Drumm
eil, Cléo
le Gob
SA ST- JEAN
L AC-
m
3
8
q.co
www.apts
5
1
6
m
www.aptsq.co
www.aptsq.com
7
www.aptsq.com
8
2
www.aptsq.com
www.aptsq.com
Centre Miriam,
4
de travail,
al
André Doucet,
l,
3
conseiller en relations
CA nation
2
3
Roxanne Côté, Alphonse-Desjardins,
l,
3
Fréchette, CA national,
al,
Julien Savoie,
ns de travai
Richer,
à cette photo : 1 Danielle Duguay, CA national, Nathalie Trottier, Beauce,
S’ajoutent
CA national,
tte, CA nationa
CA national, Josée
5
en relatio llette, CA nationl, et 8 Sylvie
2
conseillère en relations de travail,
Esther Gagnon,
4
2 Josée Fréche
Francis Collin,
nda, 2 Sylvie Godin, de travail
S’ajoutent
Louis-David Poirier, conseiller en relations de travail,
à cette photo : 1 Sylvain Sirois, CA national,
8
conseillère5
Broui
de travai
1
Fortier, Rouyn-Nora
Esther Lacombe, Montmagny
1
Asselin, CA national,
7
de travail, etLetarte,
relations
s de travail,
conseiller en relations2 Geneviève
en relations de travail
Guimond,de travail, Lise en relations
6
conseillère en relations de travail, et 3 Claude
photo : Josée
photo : Ghislain
nd, conseiller en
Véronique de Tonnancour, conseillère en relations de travail, Jean-François Roberge,
Leduc, conseiller
ère en relation relations de travail
l, 2 Lise
ns
illère
Intermoscia, conseiller en relations de travail
S’ajoutent à cette
S’ajoutent à cette
u, conseill
et 4 François Chamberla
de travai illère en relatio -Galien, conse 1
et 5 Gabriel Laforest
en
relations
, conseillère
: Anie Baritea
S’ajoutent à cette
iller en Schmidt, consence Laperrière
à cette photo et 3 Geneviève Letarte
photo : 1 Guylaine
7 Laure
nd, conse
tale
4
S’ajoutent
Michel, CA national, 2
al, Chan
travail,
Chamberla
1 François
et Anick Gilbert,
, CA nation relations de
conseillère en relations
photo : 3 Francis Collin conseiller en
de travail
à cette
ail
Cuthi
travll,
s de
onal, 6 David
tion
nati
CA
r en rela
lifoux,
e Cha u, conseille
2 Nathali
Brunea
y
ail,
s de trav 4 Geoffro
relation travail et
re en
s de
eillè
tion
, cons
en rela
Perron conseiller
,
1 Andréa
to : 3 in Pouliot
pho
Ala
cette
7
S’ajoutent
ent à
Linda Dion, Haute-Côte-Nord
Laurence Cozza,
Julie Proven
hard,
é Bouc
Marc-Andres
Des Sourc
MB EN
ENSEMBLE
AU
AU
AU
AU
ENSE
DE LA
AU
S
DE
S
S
S
S
DU
S
IS
U
S
U
C
I
IU-OSUEST DE-L’ÎLE- TIBI- CISSS DE
AU
AU
S DUACIUSSS CMAURICIE ET DUÉBCCEN
S
CIS
TRE
SS
L’ABI
DE LA
S
ÈRESCHAUDI
C
E
U
I
U
DU
Q
E
C GUENAY DE L’ESTRIE CENTRE
CISSS DE LA
DE- MONTRÉAL TÉMISCAMINGU
APPALACHESCÔTE-NORD
1
S’ajout
Isabelle Beaulieu, Alphonse-Desjardins
urin,
Annie Sabo aska
Haute-Yam
Eskers de l’Abitibi
S TOUS
TOUESMBLETOUESMBLTEOUESMBLTOU
S
U
O
E MBLE
T
S
S
S
S
N
U
N
E
L
E
N
ENSE
E
B
O
E
ENSEMBLE TOUS
L SEM
T
Chanta
Lynn
Ghislaine Mantha,
,
Giuseppina Di Benedetto
CHSLD juif de Montréal
L’E
S’ajoutent à cette photo : 1 Chantal Schmidt, conseillère en relations de travail, 2 Mathieu Leclerc, du Suroît, 3 Marc-Olivier Pagé, CA national,
et 4 Marie-Eve Denicourt, conseillère en relations de travail
5
www.aptsq.com
THE APTS IN GENERAL COUNCIL | NOVEMBER 2-3-4 and 18, 2015 | LONGUEUIL | MONTRÉAL | VOLUME 9 | NUMBER 1
MISCELLANEOUS
OPTILAB
In the face of growing concern
among members in regions where
the lab reorganization project
OPTILAB is being implemented at
breakneck speed, delegates have
expressed the desire for concerted
action at the provincial level. The
request is timely, as an action plan
on OPTILAB has just been completed and approved by our Board
of Directors. The plan includes
training a team that will monitor developments in the lab reorganization project and take prompt action in light of the repercussions in
the workplace, whether they affect labour relations or services to the
population.
CONVENTION IN APRIL 2016
Regardless of the changes that APTS members will very likely be
experiencing in 2016 and that will necessitate another convention, in
accordance with its Constitution, the APTS will hold a convention on
April 13-14, 2016 at Place Desaulniers de Longueuil. This won’t be a
convention on policy directions. It will be a time to receive the activity
report and elect members to the various committees, the Board of
Directors, and possibly the executive committee.
UNION ALLEGIANCE VOTES ON THE HORIZON
The General Council meeting will also be an occasion to review the
work that’s underway in preparation of the raiding period that will
precede (probably sometime early in 2016) a large-scale vote on union
allegiance in institutions that will be merged to create integrated
health and social services centres. The teams are in place, the strategies and training plan are all set and the key issues are identified. All
that’s missing is a new collective agreement, duly signed, to launch the
30-day countdown!
UNION FINANCES
The 2015-2016 budget was unanimously adopted. Everything is set up
so that we can focus our resources on
the raiding operation in 2016.
BUDGET 2016
GENERAL
COUNCIL
NOVEMBER 2-3-4, 2015
POLITICAL ANALYSIS
The new team from the socio-political action
sector (co-ordinator Laurence Beaulac and
political liaison officer Stephen Léger) provided
the delegation with an analysis by economist
Sylvie Paquereau from the University of Ottawa,
whose study is being touted by the Coalition
solidarité santé. Her study postulates that
beyond the target of returning to a balanced
budget in record time, the austerity measures
imposed on Quebeckers by the Liberal government are aimed at
reducing the size of the welfare state, including by privatizing public
services.
The strategies used by the government to achieve this goal have
included deliberate attempts to ensure that resources would be
insufficient, in order to justify turning to the private sector, notably.
Centralization, deregulation, charging user fees and higher rates,
offloading public services onto community organizations – these are
the kinds of strategies used to meet an objective that is never made
explicit.
NEW MEMBER OF THE
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
A position on the APTS Board of
Directors became vacant after Lise
Brouillette decided to join the APTS
management team as director
in charge of sectors. Of the three
candidates who ran for the Board
position, Emmanuel Breton from
the CIUSS de l’Estrie–CHUS was
the one elected.
6