Former health-care employees in Montreal's west end have had their recent pay equity payments refused by the bank, after the West Island health and social services centre (CIUSSS - OIM) decided to cancel nearly 500 cheques without notice to recipients, says the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), an affiliate of the FTQ.
A combination of bad postal addresses and fraud reports led the CIUSSS to make this decision, according to explanations provided to CUPE Local 2881, which represents, among others, orderlies, service assistants and food service attendants.
"We've had several ex-workers call us, including one in a panic, because their cheque bounced," local interim president Fanny Demontigny told The Canadian Press.
Some were left with NSF (not sufficient funds) charges.
The CIUSSS-OIM did not respond to a Canadian Press request for comment by the end of the day.
The sum of the cheques, sent in June and resulting from the 2010 pay equity maintenance exercise, could amount to $4,000 per worker, Demontigny said.
"I can't even believe that for a large CIUSSS, things like this happen, especially in health care. The workers are tired and exhausted. They have given everything during the pandemic. (...) It's a good example of how we don't take care of the workers in the health network," said Demontigny.
The CIUSSS had not yet contacted the people concerned on Thursday to inform them of the cancellations, the union leader said, but letters updating the situation would be sent soon.
"We want a second cheque to be sent to them as soon as possible. What we are also asking for is an apology in a letter. This is unacceptable," said Demontigny.
The union said this "new boondoggle" is in addition to other errors that have affected the payroll in recent months and the various delays in payment resulting from the conclusion of the last collective agreement.
LABOUR SHORTAGE: 'FROM BAD TO WORSE'
The situation comes as the labour shortage has worsened since the beginning of the summer in several West Island institutions, which is worrying to the CUPE, which is calling for incentives to retain and hire staff.
"It's getting worse and worse," said Demontigny, adding that the last two long weekends have been "particularly difficult" with, among other things, orderlies and kitchen staff missing.
"During the St. Jean-Baptiste weekend, our cafeterias at St. Mary's and Ste. Anne's Hospital were closed due to lack of staff. We have a lot of floors that are practically bare. We had (Lakeshore General Hospital) a night shift with only one orderly for 40 residents. It's inhumane," said Demontigny.
These episodes leave the union concerned that the situation could become even more difficult during the construction vacations in late July and early August.
The union wants financial measures to get through the summer season. It suggests a return to double time for overtime and the accumulation of half days of vacation for those who agree to work extra shifts, incentives that were put in place by Quebec earlier this year for the fifth wave of the COVID-19 and that ended in April.
-- This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on July 7, 2022.
