Quebec labour tribunal to hear health-care union case on owed bonuses

The issue of the bonuses that were supposed to be paid to health-care workers came before the Quebec Labour Tribunal on Monday, as it began hearing the complaint on this subject filed by the workers’ union alliance.

The Alliance du personnel professionnel et technique de la santé et des services sociaux (APTS), which represents 67,000 members, filed a complaint for obstruction of union activities against the employer, Santé Québec, since these bonuses have still only been partially paid to the affected workers.

The bonuses in question are numerous: night, evening and weekend bonuses, bonuses for working in youth centres, critical care bonuses and bonuses for working with clients with serious behavioural problems, for example.

These bonuses were agreed upon during the last negotiations to renew the public sector collective agreements.

The APTS signed its agreement on June 7, 2024.

According to the deadline, the employer was to pay the premiums within 120 days of signing the agreement, i.e., by Oct. 5, 2024.

However, even today, not all of the premiums due have been paid.

In discussions with the APTS, the Comité patronal de négociation de la santé et des services sociaux cited a problem with payroll system service providers to explain the delays.

–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews