May 9, 2018

The FIQ–Syndicat interprofessionnel en soins de santé de l’Abitibi-Témiscamingue (FIQ-SISSAT) is concerned because its healthcare professionals still have to do mandatory overtime and are exhausted. According to one coordinator, between April 1 and 18 alone, nurses and licensed practical nurses in the Rouyn-Noranda medical-surgical unit worked over 35 shifts of mandatory overtime, despite management’s clear commitment to eliminating it.

And yet, the union and healthcare professionals in the region are finding and proposing solutions to the employer to improve their practice and work conditions. “Even though we have brought countless solutions to the table, nothing is working. Our members are tired and have had enough of the CISSS-AT’s short-sighted management. They are just watching the hemorrhaging instead of preventing it,” lamented Nancy Moore, Vice-President of the FIQ-SISSAT.

The union is asking Health Minister Gaétan Barrette to implement concrete measures at the CISSS-AT in order to resolve the current crisis which has real consequences for members and the population in Abitibi-Témiscamingue.

Ruthless management

Studies have shown that the risks multiply exponentially after 12 consecutive hours of work and that with every 5% increase in nurses’ overtime hours, the number of patient deaths increases by 3%. “We are worried about the quality and safety of care in the region and we want management to take immediate action,” said Nancy Moore.

To make matters worse, a new scheduling management system has been implemented, making schedule management more complicated. “Our members don’t even know a day in advance if they are scheduled to work the next day, or if it will be a day, evening, or night shift!” lamented Michaël Bouchard, union Vice-President for the Rouyn-Noranda sector. “We were told that the software wasn’t installed properly and that even after several months, they still don’t have a solution to the problem. How could they have not had the foresight to test it beforehand? How is it that they once again sacrificed healthcare professionals’ well-being and patient safety because they were in a hurry?” he added.

In and out

The CISSS-AT is attempting to back-track at the bargaining table. “It’s simply unacceptable and our members are jumping ship, sometimes a dozen within a very a short time. While the CISSS-AT says it has a staff shortage in its territory, we’ve received calls from candidates saying they weren’t called back for an interview or that, after passing an interview, were asked to work 100 km from their homes! How are they ever going to recruit new staff like that?” asked Cynthia Pilon, union Vice-President for the Vallée-de-l’Or sector.