Quebec's biggest nurses' union rejects government deal

It's back to the negotiating table for the Quebec gov‐ ernment and the provinces' largest nurses' union, Fédération interpro‐ fessionnelle de la santé du Québec (FIQ), after union members voted against the tentative contract deal ne‐ gotiators for each party struck last month.

In March, negotiators on behalf of the FIQ, which rep‐ resents some 80,000 nurses, practical nurses, respiratory therapists and clinical perfu‐ sionists, recommended that its members vote to accept the agreement and members took part in a three-day ref‐ erendum vote to make a de‐ cision.

But after 15 months of ne‐ gotiations, the two sides have failed to finalize the deal, with 61 per cent of union members turning it down.

According to the union's Facebook page, just over three-quarters of union members took part in the vote.

At a news conference on Saturday, FIQ president Julie Bouchard said that the high turnout and majority disap‐ proval means the members felt the agreement was "in‐ sufficient" and are deter‐ mined to see their working conditions improve.

Although admitting she was personally disappointed that the deal she recom‐ mended was rejected, Bouchard said she is ready to return to the bargaining ta‐ ble.

Bouchard said that the union leadership will first consult with its members to pinpoint the exact reasons why they turned down the agreement and regroup.

She also said pressure tactics will remain on the ta‐ ble.

"We already had in our pocket a strike mandate that could go all the way to an un‐ limited general strike," said Bouchard, but she added that a strike will only happen if that's what members call for.

In a press release, the union said that its members are fed up with a "completely disorganized health-care sys‐ tem" and want to "break a culture that asks to make more with less."

Treasury Board insists on 'flexibility'

On X, formerly known as Twitter, Quebec Treasury Board President Sonia Lebel, said negotiations will be re‐ visited.

"We are going to meet with the union to understand what the stumbling blocks are. However, the context and our objectives will re‐ main the same, particularly in terms of flexibility."

Quebec Health Minister Christian Dubé also said the government would continue discussions with the healthcare workers.

"We will continue to make the necessary changes to im‐ prove our health network and become an employer of choice," he said on X.

For the FIQ, some of the sticking points have been the government's insistence on "flexibility," the power to shift nurses to different care units or health establishments de‐ pending on the need. The union has also raised issues about compulsory overtime and the recognition of nurs‐ es' seniority who have worked with private agen‐ cies.

Parti Québécois health critic Joël Arseneau said the government needs to show some flexibility itself in deal‐ ing with the nurses in order to keep them working in the health-care system.

"We cannot foresee re‐ building the public health system without the nurses," Arseneau said. "We need the government to negotiate with them an agreement that will please them, help them cope with family responsibili‐ ties and [their] professional work."

No deal for other pubic sector unions

Earlier this year, following months of protests, Quebec's common front of public sec‐ tor unions, known as the Front commun, which repre‐ sents about 420,000 public sector heath-care and educa‐ tion workers,ratified a deal with the government.

The Fédération autonome de l'enseignement (FAE), which represents 66,500 teachers in Quebec, also voted in favour of a deal in February.

However, there are other unions who have yet to reach agreements with Quebec.

The Fédération de la san‐ té du Québec (FSQ-CSQ), which has 5,600 auxiliary nurses and respiratory thera‐ pists plying their trade in sev‐ eral regions of the province. It will resume negotiations next week.

The Syndicat de profes‐ sionnelles et professionnels du gouvernement du Québec (SPGQ), a union that repre‐ sents government experts, and the Syndicat de la fonc‐ tion publique et para‐ publique du Québec (SFPQ), which mainly represents workers at the Ministry of Transport, are also without a deal.