Interview with Jeff Begley, President, Federation of Health and Social Services (FSSS-CSN)


Health care workers protest ministerial orders, Victoriaville, July 9, 2020.

Workers' Forum: The ministerial order issued on July 4 by the new Minister of Health and Social Services once again allows for the cancellation of workers' collective agreements in order to unilaterally change working conditions, this time with regard to the supervision of new orderlies. What is the position of the Federation of Health and Social Services on this issue?

Jeff Begley: It is very disappointing. Once again, the government does exactly as it pleases. There is nothing in this order that will eliminate the overburdening of the people who will have to supervise the new orderlies. There are 10,000 people who, so far, have had three weeks of training, or 120 hours. At the moment, the trainees are doing half internship, half training at school, until September 15. Normally, when an orderly arrives at work, he has had 870 hours of training. What we are being told about the training that is being given right now is that it is very much focused on COVID, which is fine. However, there are indications that in some places, for example, there is no training on how to move patients in a safe way. For orderlies, especially those in CHSLDs [residential and long-term care centres] where many patients are not mobile, this is a real problem. It is a major problem because moving patients is at the heart of the work they have to do.

The order was published yesterday, Sunday, July 5. On Saturday, the FSSS-CSN was at the table with the Ministry of Health, at our request, regarding orderlies. We told them that there were concerns about overload because the existing orderlies have their usual duties and, in addition, they will have to train and supervise newcomers. The Ministry told us that it is the teachers who are responsible for supervision. But these teachers will not be there! The Ministry added that what they expect of experienced staff is not that they coach or teach the newcomers, but that they "observe" the newcomers. Imagine a new attendant who has not learned how to move patients safely and an old attendant saying, "Go ahead, try it and I'll just observe you." This is a danger to both the patient's safety and the new employee's safety because he has not mastered the technique. So of course, the experienced colleague will have to help him to do these essential tasks correctly! It is therefore nonsense that, in addition to their usual duties, orderlies will have to supervise new employees for $5 a day, regardless of the number of trainees they are responsible for.

WF: What is the way of receiving these new employees safely and professionally?

JB: The experienced orderly or health care worker would have to be relieved of part of their duties so that they could guide and supervise the new employees. Even after taking a course, the first few times a person does something, like moving someone, they need assistance to do it properly. This is why we are concerned about the overload of work on existing employees, who are in a great state of fatigue and whose vacations have been reduced, in some cases by half.

The other thing we are concerned about in the new order is that it says that it is the employer who chooses the people who will be responsible for observing one or more new employees. We are saying that it should be volunteers, and based on seniority first. They have to be volunteers -- not people to whom the employer is going to say: 'you're good, I want you to do this.' I would hope that there are employers who will choose to take volunteers, but the ministerial order does not require it.

I reiterate that there is no problem with this type of training, but only if the experienced orderly, the licensed practical nurse, or the nurse is relieved of part of his or her duties to ensure that the newcomers are properly trained, and especially to help them put into practice what they have learned and the actions they must perform. It's perfectly normal not to have everything under control when you arrive at your workplace. It is with the help of experienced workers that they gain confidence.

When the government made the first announcement [of accelerated training to attract new orderlies -- WF Ed. Note], we told the government: "We are getting on board. If you want to sit down with us, we'll work together to make sure it goes well by looking at the conditions necessary for things to be done well." A month later, there is still no exchange. The Ministry imposes. It only informs us of the decisions it has taken.

WF: It's striking how unions and negotiated settlements are being targeted with ministerial orders and Bill 61 on restarting of the economy.

JB: Yes, in the name of the health emergency, the government has given itself the right to impose. We understand that in extreme situations, a government can give itself this type of right so as not to find itself in a situation where services are disrupted. But this is not being used sparingly. The measures it imposes are very broad and affect the vast majority of workers.

What is obvious is that the government's target is the unions. And that allows it to say: "I have done everything right without unions, they are not necessary." The new Minister of Health, Christian Dubé, told us just recently that he considers the unions to be important partners, and that he wants to work with us. So we said that was perfect, that we were ready, and that there were two urgent things: the arrival of a massive number of new orderlies and health and safety in the event of a second wave of COVID-19. But no action was taken on what the Minister told us.

This is a power grab by the government. It expresses a refusal to talk to the unions.

And this is happening at a time when we are very concerned about a second wave of COVID-19 that could happen soon.

Again, there is no discussion with the government. People's lives are at risk. And even if someone does not die, we have the example of workers who have been infected with COVID who continue to have significant after-effects a month, a month and a half later. We have more than one testimony on that. They are still not back to their optimal health.

It is my interpretation that the pandemic and the economy are being used as an excuse to attack the unions. The members are exasperated by all these orders that impose working conditions on them.

That has to change.


Health care workers protest at assisted living facility in Drummondville, July  6, 2020.

(Translated from original French by WF. Photos: FIQ)


This article was published in

Number 49 - July 16, 2020

Article Link:
Interview with Jeff Begley, President, Federation of Health and Social Services (FSSS-CSN)


    

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