Going beyond campaign promises
The election campaign is in full swing and with each day come new announcements. Political parties are pitching promises and, sometimes what’s going on in the background is more important than what’s being said. But beyond the pretty words, what are the real promises being made to the 75,000 healthcare professionals (FIQ members) and Quebec patients?
On October 1, we will have the opportunity to choose the people who will govern Quebec for the next four years. Until then, it is our duty to understand what the main parties are proposing. To encourage further reflection, the Federation wrote about a series of issues that strongly affect its members. Please visit the election section on our website.
While the four candidates aspiring to be health minister at the debate hosted by the FIQ last week all agreed that healthcare professionals’ excessive workload and distress must be resolved, it is obvious that the methods proposed to improve their conditions vary from one party to another. And while there is just under three weeks left to get a clear grasp of the promises that will bring positive change to healthcare professionals, as we speak, the Parti libéral du Québec is still in power and in a position to put its money where its mouth is.
For several months now, local negotiations have been underway in Quebec’s CISSSs and CIUSSSs. While it’s true that some agreements have been reached in the last few weeks, there are still at least 40,000 nurses, licensed practical nurses, respiratory therapists and clinical perfusionists awaiting a new collective agreement; a negotiated agreement that will improve their working conditions and the level of care they can provide.
The election campaign is underway but the Parti libéral du Québec will remain in power until October 1. Gaétan Barrette and Philippe Couillard both have the power to ask institution management to get to the bargaining table and prove that the well-being of healthcare professionals is important to them. Mr. Barrette and Mr. Couillard, when you get a moment between announcements, it would be good to make a few calls to these stubborn institution managers. The power is in your hands to bring real change to healthcare professionals who really need it!