June 7, 2016

The FIQ is proud to announce the signature of the 2015-2020 collective agreement, a signature which will take place this afternoon at the CPNSSS. The FIQ is the first labour organization in the healthcare network to have completed the writing of the texts following the sectoral and intersectoral agreements on December 5 and 21, 2015 concluded between the Government and the FIQ, which means the members of the FIQ will quickly have access to the benefits related to these negotiations.

Remember several issues at the heart of these negotiations mainly on the reduction of workload and job insecurity, an improvement of the working conditions, the recognition and enhancement of training/education and the elimination of the harmful effects of Bill 10 following the reorganization of the healthcare network. The FIQ has obtained gains for each one of the priorities and for all the job titles of Class 1.

The work writing the texts started after the tentative agreements in December and has confirmed the payment of the lump sum amount to the respiratory therapists group working with clientele in a residential and long-term care centre.

Entry into effect of the new provisions

The provisions of the new collective agreement will take effect this July 10.

The premium for the employees working with a clientele presenting serious behaviour disorders and the one for the employees working with a clientele in a residential and longterm care centre, as well as the additional remuneration (lump sum amount) corresponding to $0.30 for every hour paid goes into effect as of April 1, 2015. The new specific critical care premiums will go into effect as of this July 10.

The payment of the new salaries and the new premiums will start no later than 45 days after the signature of the collective agreement and the retroactivity will be payable at the latest 90 days after the signature of the collective agreement.

Retirement

The coordination of the negotiations wants to specify certain information concerning the new terms and conditions for the employee who wants to benefit from a reduction in work time through a progressive retirement agreement.

The proposed time period of 100 days as of the tabling of the bill in the National Assembly which would guarantee the present conditions in RREGOP for the employees wanting to benefit from a reduction in work time has been increased to 120 days, thus moving the date of August 18 to September 8, 2016. To benefit from such an agreement, the provisions in Article 24 of the collective agreement set out that the employee must make the request for a reduction in work time to her employer at least 90 days before the agreement would begin, which means the request would have to be made by June 10, 2016, at the latest. The provisions of the agreement on the reduction in work time must take effect on September 8, 2016.