Three priorities to guide our union action
At the FIQ’s 13th convention, your delegates debated the main political and union orientations, as well as the courses of action and priorities that will guide work in the coming years. These discussions were fuelled by conferences on several contemporary issues, including artificial intelligence, right-wing movements and climate crisis.
Three major themes structured the reflections:
- Power over our future, which highlights the need to give healthcare professionals real power over their working conditions and expertise, in a context where healthcare reforms have centralized decision-making.
- Women of conviction, which highlights the importance of member politicization, social justice and solidarity in the face of societal challenges.
- The FIQ is looking to the future, calling us to anticipate changes in the world of work and to defend a bold and inclusive union vision.
This work led to the adoption of 17 recommendations that will guide the actions of the Federation and its affiliated unions over the coming years. These recommendations cover, among other things, promoting our expertise, union alliances, recognizing the impact of climate change on health, combating systemic discrimination and the challenges associated with integrating artificial intelligence into the health network.
To see all of the recommendations, read the convention’s theme document.
Other major decisions
This 13th convention was also an opportunity for delegates to make decisions about different questions shaping the FIQ’s union reality.
Below, you will find an overview of the recommendations adopted over the five-day convention.
Creation of a permanent Anti-Racism Committee
As the fight against racism has been a key priority within the Federation since 2021, FIQ delegates have adopted the creation of a permanent Anti-Racism Committee. This will make it possible to highlight racism against members as an issue in labour relations and occupational health and safety, to work on concrete and effective solutions, and to develop the tools needed to support more inclusive union work.
The Anti-Racism Committee will be composed of a political officer and six racialized union representatives, who will be elected at the December 2025 federal council.
Strengthen the Policy on the Fair Representation of Women in Positions of Power and Decision-Making
Since the target of 75% female representation in union structures has not been met, FIQ delegates have adopted a series of measures to promote the participation of women and racialized people: review and strengthen the Policy on the Fair Representation of Women in Positions of Power and Decision-Making (while including the fight against systemic racism), ensure the proper functioning of the committee that oversees its implementation, offer training on speaking at councils and conventions, update the support guide and adopt a schedule for councils and conventions that promotes work-life balance.
Strike fund: an evolving discussion
Since the Federation was created, setting up a strike fund has been discussed each time members go on strike. Over time, delegates and members have always democratically chosen a solidarity pact as a means of sharing the losses incurred equitably. After the eight-day strike in the fall of 2023, it is healthy and normal to reassess the relevance of establishing a strike fund, and members will therefore be consulted on this issue in the coming months.
Safe ratios: an ongoing battle
FIQ delegates once again confirmed that they want to continue the fight to obtain safe healthcare professional-to-patient ratios, which are THE long term solution for the health network. Ratios are a solution that work in other Canadian provinces that are facing the same challenges as in Quebec. In the coming months, information tools will be developed, and members will be called on to mobilize around this key issue.
A stronger union rep mobilization structure
In 2022, a union rep mobilization structure pilot project, composed of one representative from each affiliated union, was set up. Building on the positive experience of recent years, the FIQ delegates decided to continue the work within the structure so that it could become an active force in the Federation at all times, not just during negotiation periods.
The FIQ reintegrates the Fédération des femmes du Québec
Changes to the governance of the Fédération des femmes du Québec (FFQ) and the importance of standing together on feminist issues, particularly in a context of rising right-wing movements, led FIQ delegates to vote to rejoin the FFQ, with which the FIQ had regularly collaborated prior to 2021. The FFQ defends causes that align with the FIQ’s values, including the fight against precariousness and violence against women, as well as the denunciation of working conditions in care settings.
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