Conciliator's proposed agreement to be submitted to 80,000 FIQ union members

One of the demonstrations of the Fédération interprofessionnelle de la santé (FIQ) held as part of its lengthy negotiations for the renewal of its collective agreements with Quebec, on September 6, 2023 in Montreal. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press)

FIQ union representatives have agreed to submit the conciliator's proposed agreement to members and will vote on it on Oct. 15, 16 and 17.

The recommendation from the conciliator was presented on Sunday, finally raising some hope, more than 500 days after the collective agreements of the Fédération interprofessionnelle de la santé expired on March 31, 2023.

FIQ members will also stop their pressure tactics. On Monday, the Administrative Labour Tribunal ordered them not to refuse to work overtime, which the FIQ had asked its members to do starting Thursday.

If the vote seems far away, it's because the FIQ must first inform its members of the content of the conciliator's proposed agreement during meetings and answer their questions.

FIQ members work days, evenings, nights, weekends and in many health, rehabilitation, long-term care and other institutions. The organization must allow all its members to obtain the necessary information before deciding.

The FIQ's federal council met Monday and Tuesday to study the conciliator's proposal and decide what to do next. It will, therefore, be up to the 80,000 members, nurses, nursing assistants, respiratory therapists and clinical perfusionists to decide.

"This is the first time in the history of our organization that a recommendation has been issued by a conciliator during negotiations. Our members will therefore have to decide in this unprecedented context for the renewal of their employment contract. The health and social services network needs increased attention and we will always be there to lead the fight to improve the working conditions of our members and the conditions of care for the population. This is the first step towards a strong public network," said FIQ President Julie Bouchad.

Nothing is certain: FIQ members had already rejected an agreement in principle last spring by 61 per cent, despite a recommendation to accept it. The mobility required of nurses is still at the heart of the dispute.

Health-care facility managers want to be able to move nurses from one care unit to another, or even from one facility to another in their territory, as needed.

But nurses are refusing, believing that it is a way of denying their expertise by treating them as interchangeable pawns. And balancing work and family life then becomes more difficult.

Mobility was not the only issue, as nursing assistants also complained about the small wage gap compared to care attendants, since their pay had been significantly increased in the context of COVID-19.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Sept. 17, 2024.