Healthcare professionals want better work-life balance
Saint-Jérôme – Today, the Syndicat des professionnelles en soins des Laurentides (FIQ – SPSL) presented its demands for the negotiation of their local collective agreement to the CISSS des Laurentides’ management. Healthcare professionals want a better work-life balance and more job stability.
“Today, we are proposing solutions to our employer. Solutions that will improve the work atmosphere and patient care. The nurses, licensed practical nurses and respiratory therapists are overloaded. They constantly do overtime and mandatory overtime and nothing is done to change it. There should be more full time positions to stabilize the work teams. Our members are mobilized and want results,” said Julie Daignault, President of the FIQ – SPSL.
The demands submitted today are the result of an extensive consultation conducted among the 4,200 healthcare professionals at the CISSS des Laurentides.
“Taking annual vacation, paid holidays and various leaves is a real problem for our members. They would like to be able to organize their schedules in a way that allows them to meet their personal needs. They also said that being on-call and doing overtime brings its own share of problems and they would like this burden to be recognized,” explained Denis Provencher, Vice-President of Labour Relations, FIQ – SPSL.
To support their union, several healthcare professionals in the Laurentians protested outside of their centres between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Despite the sheer size of the 22,000 km2 territory, there was a high member turnout because they understand the importance of mobilizing for these negotiations.
“The members participated in large numbers to support their negotiating committee. They know it’s a significant moment in the history of the FIQ – SPSL because their local collective agreement will only be negotiated once. Their actions sent a clear message, they mobilized to get better working conditions and to be able to provide safe, quality care at the CISSS des Laurentides,” said Matthieu Parker-Labonté, Vice-President of the south sector and mobilization officer.