FIQ nurses union rejects Quebec’s latest offer, call it nothing but ‘smoke and mirrors’

The latest government proposals to the FIQ are nothing but “smoke and mirrors,” according to the union organization. As a result, it will be asking its members to refuse overtime as of Sept. 19.

In a press release issued on Friday, the Fédération interprofessionnelle de la santé (FIQ) described the government’s proposal, tabled after more than 500 days since the expiry of the collective agreements, as “window dressing” and “rehashing.”

The union federation, which represents 80,000 nurses, nursing assistants, respiratory therapists and clinical perfusionists, was responding to the new contract offer presented by Quebec’s Treasury Board on Thursday. At the time, the FIQ said it would take the time to analyze the proposal before commenting on it.

The mobility required of nurses is still at the heart of the dispute.

According to the FIQ, in its latest proposal, Quebec demands even greater flexibility from its members. It was for this reason that in April, 61 per cent of members rejected the agreement in principle reached with the province earlier this year.

Managers of healthcare establishments want to be able to move nurses from one care unit to another, or even from one establishment to another, to meet needs wherever they arise. Nurses see this as a way of denying their expertise and treating them as interchangeable pawns. They also see it as a problem for quality of care and patient follow-up.

On Thursday, Sonia LeBel, President of the province’s Treasury Board, said that, “In the proposals we tabled earlier today, we suggest a different path to achieve our goal of flexibility that would allow us to better care for Quebecers.”

Lebel added that the government was reaching out to the FIQ “to conclude an agreement that respects both the needs of the population and the demands of FIQ nurses.”

“I have always said that achieving objectives is more important than the means used to do so. This offer takes into account the concerns expressed by FIQ members. It’s now up to the FIQ to take steps to join us,” explained LeBel.

The union says they have poor working conditions including mandatory overtime, inadequate equipment and denied or displaced leave.

On X, Lebel told the FIQ that they need to shift into a “solution mode” rather than an “opposition mode.”

In response, the FIQ said there’s still time for the government to start listening to the needs of health care professionals.

The collective agreement of the FIQ expired on March 31, 2023. The FIQ represents over 90 per cent of nurses throughout Quebec.

On Wednesday morning, FIQ members took over overpasses atop the Decarie Expressway amid rush hour to have their voices heard and get the public to take notice.

The union has undergone several strike mandates, including walkouts in November and December of 2023, but negotiations remain at an impasse.

Quebec is also counting on an agreement with the FIQ to facilitate the creation of “flying teams” to come and relieve regions with a nursing shortage that is even more severe than elsewhere, such as the Côte-Nord.

–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews