The APTS-FIQ Alliance is ready to negotiate all the measures to put in place to support the health and social services network personnel
The members of the ATPS-FIQ Alliance repeated their demand for an urgent meeting with the chief negotiator, Ms. Édith Lapointe, to negotiate all the measures to put in place to support the health and social services network (HSSSN) in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. At the meeting with all the unions on March 15, Premier Legault indicated he was open to exploring all potential solutions for the HSSN personnel.
An exceptional context
Since the government declared a health emergency, the situation changes from day to day. Québec’s public finances will be solicited in an exceptional way and the APTS-FIQ Alliance will work closely with the negotiator in this context. “We have to bounce back and quickly adapt to the situation as the members who have responded to the government’s appeal are doing. The continued effort that they will have to make over the coming weeks and months should be recognized” stated the APTS and FIQ presidents, Andrée Poirier and Nancy Bédard.
Protect the HSSN personnel
The Alliance will put all the concerns raised by the members on the table, in particular that of the personnel’s safety and the availability of equipment. “The pandemic has revealed the state of the healthcare network. It is showing not only our members commitment but is calling on accountability for everyone. The government must take responsibility, as it has done since the beginning of the pandemic, and offer winning conditions to our members to give them back some oxygen”, added Andrée Poirier and Nancy Bédard.
Moreover, the APTS-FIQ Alliance is demanding that pregnant women and people with immuno-compromised systems are immediately removed from all positions where they could be in contact with the virus, not only in emergency departments and on the front line.