Unions' Responses
The unions representing public sector workers immediately denounced the government's offers.
Common Front
On December 15, the Common Front issued a press release entitled "Impoverishing public sector workers, the worst solution." The Common Front represents some 420,000 public sector workers. It is made up of the Confederation of National Trade Unions (CSN), the Centrale des syndicats du Québec (CSQ), the Quebec Federation of Labour (FTQ) and the Alliance of Professional and Technical Health and Social Services Personnel (APTS).
In denouncing the government's wage offers, the Common Front writes:
"Is the government serious when it says that public services are important? If so, why is it maintaining them in a state of failure? Why is it offering so little while knowing that other workers' wages will continue to increase? The past two years of the pandemic have been a stark reminder of what is wrong with our public services. In putting such poor working conditions on the table, it is choosing to perpetuate the labour shortage and all the problems which stem from that.
"In light of the facts, do you think people will choose public services or jobs offering better conditions? Public service employees are not the ones who should be paying for economic recovery or the fight against inflation. Are our members -- 78 per cent of whom are women -- going to be asked to tighten their belts yet again to help the economy recover? If the government is serious about wanting to provide sustainable solutions for services to the population, it should go back to the drawing board and reconsider its offers.
"The Common Front is demanding a permanent mechanism to protect against inflation and also improvements aimed at a general wage catch-up. Hence, for the year 2023, it is demanding $100 per week or the CPI [Consumer Price Index ]+ two per cent (based on the most advantageous formula), the CPI + three per cent for 2024, and finally, the CPI + four per cent for 2025."
Federation of Health and Social Services (FSSS-CSN)
In its December 16 press release FSSS-CSN, which has over 140,000 members, addressed the sectoral offers tabled by the Employer Negotiating Committee of the Health Care and Social Services Sector, saying:
"If the government is finally recognizing the problems we're experiencing, then we're still waiting for it to show an openness to implementing workers' solutions.
"For the FSSS-CSN, what stands out in this offer is the silence the employer maintains on several major issues. For example, its submission refers to Minister Dubé's Health Plan without mentioning that it aims to increase the role of the private sector in health care, while energies should instead be focused on consolidating the public network.
"The government proposes nothing to support personnel who must ensure continuity with the next generation of workers, nothing to recognize experience, nothing to implement ratios, nothing in terms of granting more vacation time to exhausted personnel, nothing to fight against privatization and to build on the expertise in the sector. Not a word about environmental measures either. All these innovative proposals coming out of our broad consultation with our members present opportunities to put the network back on its feet."
Interprofessional Health Care Federation of Quebec (FIQ)
In its December 15 press release the FIQ, which represents approximately 76,000 members, wrote:
"The employer's salary offer is for nine per cent over five years, whereas the FIQ is demanding 12 per cent over three years, along with protecting purchasing power and a raise to make up for inflation over recent months.
"The government's offers clearly are not on par with the sacrifices health care professionals have been making for far too long. The government is clearly off target when it comes to being an employer of choice. Our members expect significant changes through better salaries and working conditions. We deserve to have the feeling of a job well done when we go home after a shift. We want recognition for our full value and we deserve work-life balance. Our members will undoubtedly be offended once they see the current offer."
On the topic of the public forums the FIQ writes:
"Once again, the government is proposing too many discussion forums on numerous topics. It wants to create lots of committees to talk about different subjects like team stability, mandatory overtime, and the organization of work time. That is a totally ineffective approach to rapidly resolving the problems in the health network.
"It proposes nothing concrete to put an end to mandatory overtime, nothing concrete to gradually reduce the use of agency staff, nothing concrete to recognize health care professionals' work and lessen their workload, as better [staff to patient] ratios would.
"Priority issues are handled at the bargaining table. There is no need for endless forums. The FIQ has concrete, doable solutions that can be quickly implemented to save the health network. The network is broken and we need to take quick action."
Amongst other things, the FIQ is demanding a commitment from the government for the adoption of a law on safe health care professional to patient ratios.
Autonomous Teachers' Federation (FAE)
On December 15, the FAE, which has approximately 60,000 members, wrote in a press release:
"
An
initial on-the-spot analysis allows us to see that many of the
proposals are the same as in the last round of submissions. It is ironic
that the government is asking teachers to be nimble and innovative, to
be flexible, creative and agile, and to think outside the box, yet it is
serving up the same recipes. In teacher speak, the agility, flexibility
and nimbleness called for throughout the tabled offers in various ways
is likely to be received negatively by teachers. The pressure that the
government is now putting on them represents an increase in workload.
"Currently, many teachers in the system are stretched to the limit
and are in distress. Many have collapsed. Others have made the choice to
leave before that point. The number of
desertions and shortage of teachers in the education sector is
unprecedented.
Unfortunately, despite the government's desire to find solutions for the
most glaring problems in the school system, the current offer does not
meet three criteria: it does not make students want to train as
teachers; it does little to improve the working conditions of practicing
teachers; and it
does not encourage the return of teachers who have left the system.
Finally, because of the urgency of the situation, this offer should have
provided working conditions that prevent psychological distress and
prolonged absences, which is not the case."
Union of Quebec Government Professionals (SPGQ)
The SPGQ, with 52,650 members, wrote in its December 15 press release:
"The Union of Quebec Government Professionals (SPGQ) is particularly disappointed with the offers of barely 9 per cent over five years to government employees presented today at a press conference. In 2022, the consumer price index in Quebec was 6.60 per cent. It is expected to be 4.94 per cent in 2023 and 3.41 per cent in 2024. With a wage increase of 2.2 per cent in 2022, our members have seen their purchasing power shrink.
"Within a labour shortage context, the offers presented today are grossly inadequate to attract and retain professional government staff. 'The government is far from being an employer of choice, despite what the President of the Treasury Board suggests. Already, because of the need for a catch up on wages, the government is struggling to fill vacancies. Many positions remain posted for months on end, adding undue pressure on existing staff and creating other departures as part of a deplorable vicious circle,' SPGQ President Guillaume Bouvrette said.
"Finally, the SPGQ has raised other very important issues, including work organization, telework, insurance and retirement. The union expects the employer to address these as well in a serious manner and with the respect that professional staff deserve."
(Quotations translated from original French by TML. Photos: FSSS-CSN, Common Front, FIQ, FAE.)
This article was published in
Volume 52 Number 63 - December 21, 2022
Article Link:
https://cpcml.ca/Tmld2022/Articles/D520632.HTM
Website: www.cpcml.ca Email: editor@cpcml.ca