FIQ negotiated a 'good agreement' despite 'heartbreaking choices'

Union members of the Federation interprofessionnelle de la sante du Quebec (FIQ) march to the National Assembly to demonstrate, in Quebec City, Monday, Oct. 2, 2023. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jacques Boissinot)

Despite the "heartbreaking choices" that had to be made, the Fédération interprofessionnelle de la santé du Québec (FIQ) says it negotiated "a good agreement" in principle, according to President Julie Bouchard.

In an interview with The Canadian Press on Wednesday, Bouchard was keen to defend the agreement in principle, at the same time that some are expressing dissatisfaction on social media.

Bouchard cites several gains, including the implementation of nurse-to-patient ratios, something the FIQ has been demanding "for 10 years."

She says she also "succeeded in getting the government to back down" on compulsory travel for nurses.

"Someone can do it voluntarily, but the employer doesn't have the right to impose it," Bouchard said.

She also spoke about mandatory overtime, which the FIQ has been fighting for years.

"We never had any legal leverage in the collective agreement to allow us to hold managers accountable," said Bouchard. "This time, there's a clause that says that managers can only keep a care professional on compulsory overtime for urgent or exceptional measures. This may seem trivial to many, but for us, it's extremely important."

The federation points out that more than 30,000 grievances, both individual and collective, have been filed over mandatory overtime.

The FIQ's 80,000 members are expected to vote on the agreement in principle on April 10, 11 and 12.

-- This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on March 27, 2024.