August 31, 2018

A superb summer of heat and sunshine is drawing to an end. Most of you took a couple of weeks of well-deserved vacation. After having visited you on site over the last few months, I know that these weeks off were probably too few and too short for you to feel truly rested.

The damage of Barrette’s reform and budget cuts were still apparent this summer and working conditions were still extremely difficult. Despite everything, the Quebec population was able to count on you. You remained strong, providing care with heart and energy. As September begins, the FIQ is with you wholeheartedly, ready to continue the fight so that you can provide safe, quality care.

After several months of negotiation, seven teams concluded tentative agreements to renew their local collective agreements. These agreements include important measures for improving healthcare professionals’ working conditions. They will be implemented gradually in the coming months.

While our organization concluded the most agreements in the health network, we must keep applying pressurep so that all healthcare professionals can benefit from a negotiated collective agreement to improve their working conditions, enabling them to provide safe, quality health care to the public.

Speaking of safe care, our teams will continue to implement the 17 healthcare professional-to-patient ratio pilot projects in response to the excessive workload and risk to care safety. However, we need to delve even deeper into the ratio project. This election campaign is not only a chance for us to consolidate this gain, but to demand that parties make firm commitments to create legislation guaranteeing healthcare professional-to-patient ratios throughout the province of Quebec. In addition, we would like to know what each party intends to do about excessive workloads, overtime, access to front-line services and work-family balance.

I’d like to take this opportunity to inform you that on September 5, the FIQ will be hosting the very first health care debate. Candidates from the four main parties running in the Quebec provincial elections will be able to state their views on four topics chosen by the FIQ. The debate will be broadcast live on our Facebook page. Be sure to tune in for this important election moment!

This fall we will be proposing solutions and we want to make sure we are heard. Regardless of which party voters choose on October 1, we will stay mobilized so that healthcare professionals can work in dignified conditions that allow them to provide safe, humane, quality care.

Have a great fall!