Quebec City, le 4 February 2026 — The Fédération interprofessionnelle de la santé du Québec–FIQ welcomes the decision rendered on February 3 by the Administrative Labour Tribunal (TAT), which concluded that Santé Québec and several healthcare institutions impeded union activities by failing to meet the agreed deadlines for the payment of new premiums resulting from the collective agreement signed in December 2024 and for the deployment of the Processus unique de reconnaissance de l’ancienneté (PURA) (Unique Seniority Recognition Process).

The TAT also ruled that these breaches had the effect of discrediting the FIQ among its members, weakening its credibility and compromising its union action. The ruling orders employers to stop all forms of obstruction and orders Santé Québec to pay $50,000 in punitive damages to the FIQ for unlawfully and intentionally infringing on freedom of association.

This decision confirms what the FIQ and several other labour organizations in the health network have been saying for a long time: commitments made during negotiations must be respected, and employers can no longer improvise or indefinitely postpone obligations that have a direct impact on healthcare professionals. The TAT emphasized in particular that the postponement of PURA — from May 2025 to March 2026 — has had a major impact on seniority, which is a key factor in accessing positions, replacements and vacations.

For the Federation, this decision is not a victory for the FIQ alone, but rather a collective union victory. Several organizations raised the same issues, expressed the same concerns and put forward similar arguments. “We didn’t win this alone. Other unions were experiencing exactly the same problems, so we all worked hard on our own. The message today is that when the union movement stands together, it gets results”, stated Julie Bouchard, President of the FIQ.

The TAT also pointed out that Santé Québec delayed implementing the necessary work for deploying PURA, only launching IT procedures at the beginning of April 2025, well after the collective agreement had been signed. Furthermore, delays in the payment of premiums had already been experienced during the previous agreement. This lack of diligence contributed to undermining the confidence of employees, who found themselves in complete uncertainty as to their rights.

For Julie Bouchard, this decision should be a turning point: “At some point, enough is enough. You can’t negotiate for months, operate in good faith, and then be told afterwards that the work hadn’t even started. The TAT has made it clear that this is no longer acceptable.” She insisted however on the FIQ’s willingness to maintain a collaborative relationship with employers: “We don’t want to be at war. That’s not the goal. The goal is for employers to understand that unions are not obstacles. With cooperation, we can achieve great things, but for that to happen, commitments must be honoured.”

The Federation would like to reiterate that the aim is not to point fingers, but to improve labour relations for everyone. “The message isn’t: “We won and you lost.” The message is: “We want to move forward, but not by being walked all over. Everyone knows that this kind of delay and vagueness will no longer be tolerated”, concluded the president.