Have you heard these kinds of sayings:

“If we were in a union with a majority of men, it wouldn’t be long before we had better salaries!”

“We need men to negotiate because we are too nice!”

“Men aren’t afraid of talking about money!” 

“That’s a women’s union for you, you get taken advantage of!”

I am sure you have. What do you feel when you hear them? They relay stereotypes about women: as if they are unable to fight for or defend their working conditions. This bothers me because I see examples every day that demonstrate the opposite!

Whenever there is a work conflict or negotiations for healthcare professionals’ working conditions, these stereotypes re-emerge. Are women as bad as all that? To ask the question is to answer it!

We are beginning negotiations and we will likely hear all kinds of things. I suggest that we get to the root of the problem and check to see if what people are saying about women is true.

“If we were in a union with a majority of men, it wouldn’t be long before we had better salaries!”

Neither true nor false: Historically, men have always had better salaries than women. Why? Because they had the power and women were politically invisible, confined to the domestic sphere. Women’s work wasn’t worth less than men’s work, but it wasn’t recognized for its true value. It’s not related to women’s ability to negotiate, but rather to the systemic discrimination they have been subject to since they entered the labour market. That is why Quebec adopted the Pay Equity Act in 1996. Women’s salaries did not go up in all the years they were represented by men. However, it is thanks to the combativeness of women and union status of women committees that the value of women’s work received collective recognition!

“We need men to negotiate because we are too nice!”

False: Unfortunately, few of us know the history of women’s mobilization very well and yet, FIQ members have shown their anger and determination through strong demonstrations:

• In September 1989, FIQ members held a 7-day strike which resulted in a draft tentative agreement;
• In 1996, FIQ delegates blocked highway 15 at rush hour to prevent the government from taking from our retirement pension;
• In 1999, there was a general strike for 23 days to negotiate because working conditions had become terrible due to the many government budget cuts;
• In 2010, healthcare professionals camped out in front of the National Assembly for 78 consecutive hours with the aim of getting a negotiated agreement;
• In 2020 and 2021, over 100 mannequins were set up outside of CHSLDs, representing the elderly to protest too high ratios;
• Also in 2020, FIQ members blocked the Jacques-Cartier and Quebec City bridges to make a statement about the sluggish negotiations.

“Men aren’t afraid of talking about money!”

False: Women’s work, and particularly that of healthcare professionals, has always been socially perceived as a vocation, including by the government, which still sees us as guardian angels. Women aren’t afraid of talking about money and have been demanding pay loudly and clearly for years that reflects the true value of their work. The collective agreement tabled on November 7, 2022 includes 26 demands related to remuneration!

“That’s a women’s union for you, you get taken advantage of!”

False: The COVID-19 pandemic showed the opposite. Healthcare professionals were requisitioned 7 days a week, across the province, to care for patients and they dared to denounce the unacceptable in the media. Along with the other unions, they filed a complaint against the government in the Administrative Labour Tribunal, which ruled in their favour: the government is obliged to negotiate in good faith with the unions!

And you? What do you think of women’s commitment to fighting for their working conditions? Let’s dare to take a stand and make our demands together!

Kime Gobeil
Happy holidays on behalf of the Status of Women Committee!