MONTREAL -- The Lanaudiere union representing nurses denounced the summary dismissal of two of its members from the health clinic (CLSC) in Joliette earlier this week, calling it a political decision.

Sylvie Roy, who gave Indigenous cultural sensitivity training to 11,000 health-care employees in Lanaudiere, was shocked by the union's comments and frustrated that the union president said the nurses were using her training to reach out to the patient.

The two nurses were suspended without pay on Monday and fired the next day for allegedly making racist and humiliating comments to an Atikamekw patient.

The patient in question, Jocelyne Ottawa, did not file a complaint, saying she feared reprisals and a break in service for her medical care, but she had made an outcry on social networks that raised an outcry and shook Indigenous communities, the CISSS de Lanaudiere and the political class.

The president of the union, Stephane Cormier, stated on several media platforms on Friday that the decision was made without any real investigation, as is required in such circumstances. According to him, the CISSS management's decision was made under political pressure. He said that the two nurses in question confirmed the comments reported by Ottawa, but said that there was no racist intent behind their behaviour.

On the contrary, he said, the two women were trying to reach out to her as suggested in Roy's recent cultural safety training course, which recommended, among other things, sensitivity to Indigenous patients' cultures.

Roy is confused by the union president's argument.

“I didn’t understand what link was being made between the training and the nurse’s behaviour. For me it was incomprehensible,” said Roy.

POLITICAL CONFUSION

In Quebec City, where members of the National Assembly unanimously passed a motion apologizing to Ottawa and the Atikamekw community of Manawan, there was some unease among opposition MNAs.

Liberal MNA Marwah Rizqy said, "what we heard was that the alleged facts were really serious, so action had to be taken."

Not wishing to go any further, she said she would leave the debate in the hands of the labour arbitration bodies.

"The tribunal that will hear this case, if it is ever a wrongful dismissal, I will let the tribunal draw its conclusions from the evidence that will be presented to them," she said.

Quebec solidaire (QS) Taschereau MNA Catherine Dorion explained that everyone was now faced with "another version."

"I don't know, I wasn't there. Maybe it's not a misunderstanding, but hey. We don't know that," said Dorion. "So, not knowing, when someone says, 'I think I was a victim of racism, I suffered;' if they say it to me, I apologize instantly, even if it wasn't my intention. So, as a party, yes, to apologize, to say sorry we don't want that."

She acknowledged that it will be necessary to get to the bottom of the case before making any further pronouncements.

"We have to look a little further each time and not get caught up in the first news that comes out because we know that there are others that come out afterwards," said Dorion.

Parti Quebecois (PQ) MNA Pascal Berube had as many questions as answers on the subject.

"Were there any racist words? Yes. In what context? In any context it's acceptable. What should be the next step? Is it dismissal? The union is engaged in a debate with the employer on this," he said.

He added, however, that "any racist speech, any racist act, must be condemned. We must not let it pass."

He also recalled in passing that the motion adopted by the National Assembly also dealt with the cultural security for Indigenous communities and nations.

"This can be applied now. It is a procedure, notably in hospitals, which makes it possible to make it more comfortable, more respectful for Indigenous people," he said.

-- this report by The Canadian Press was first published March 19, 2021. 

-- with reporting from CTV News Montreal.