For several years, the government of Quebec has decided to significantly modify the legislative environment of the health sector in the beautiful province. For example, law 10, gag order adopted in 2015 – a simplified procedure for adopting a bill aiming to restrict debate on controversial issues -, modifies the organisation and the governance of the healthcare and social services network with the claimed aim of improving quality and access to care services.
This law notably brought together the 182 former health sectors in 34 public establishments of which 22 are regional megastructures (More information available here). For the CSQ (House of unions of Quebec) Centrale des Syndicats du Quebec), close to two years after the law came into force, the reorganisation had not achieved its desired goals and had even exacerbated the deterioration of health and social services and staff working conditions.
From a union perspective, the change is big enough so that all employees of the new mega sectors should be in a union in the same organisation according to the categories of jobs in accordance with law 30. The CSQ regrets this measure which undermines the employee’s freedom to choose a union and pushes unions towards raiding – taking the right from another union to represent the workers. In February 2017, 180,000 people will be called to vote to designate their union representative. The CSQ will be in all of the regions and the sectors where it could represent these employees.
The CSQ predominantly brings together public sector workers. It brings together 200,000 teachers, educational research and support professionals, early years workers, nurses, and workers in the health, social services, culture and community and collective action sectors. More information is available here.
