On April 2019 all Healthcare Employees receive ZERO pay raise – Despite Quebec’s Historic Labour Strike

March 25, 2019

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Despite taking part in Quebec’s historic labour movement, (public sector strikes of 2015), health and social service sector workers will receive a zero pay raise on April 1st, 2019.

The salary increase some employees will receive on April 2nd is not a pay raise, but a salary adjustment through Pay Relativity (Equity).

The Pay Equity process is to objectively review all job titles with similar roles to ensure parity between their salary scales. As welcoming as the salary adjustments are, laws already exist along with a dedicated tribunal to address Pay Equity – The PAY EQUITY ACT, and, the Tribunal administratif du travail (TAT).

Therefore, Pay Equity has no business at the contract negotiation table, if not for a brilliant maneuver by the Quebec government.

The current 5-year contract was referred to on Dec. 20, 2015, by union leaders has having “achieved their objective” and “stopping the continued impoverishment of their members.” The total pay raise in the five-year agreement is 5.25 per cent.

Approximately 40 per cent of healthcare clerical staff will receive a total pay rate increase of 5.25 per cent over five-years.

According to Article 8.31 in the CSN FSSS collective agreement:

A) The period from April 1, 2015, to March 31, 2016.
Each rate of pay and pay scale in force on March 31, 2015, stays the same without an increase.

B) The Period from April 1, 2016, to March 31, 2017.
Each rate of pay and pay scale 1 in force on March 31, 2016 is increased by 1.5%, effective April 1, 2016.

C) The Period from April 1, 2017, to March 31, 2018.
Each rate of pay and pay scale 1 in force on March 31, 2017, is increased by 1.75%, effective April 1, 2017.

D) The Period from April 1, 2018, to March 31, 2019.
Each rate of pay and pays cale 1 in force on March 31, 2018, is increased by 2.0%, effective April 1, 2018.

E) The Period from April 1, 2019, to March 31, 2020.
Each rate of pay and pay scale in force on March 31, 2019, stays the same without an increase.

The two lump-sums in Article 8.32

A) The period from April 1, 2015, to March 31, 2016
Each employee is entitled to additional remuneration corresponding to $0.30 for each hour remunerated between April 1, 2015, and March 31, 2016.

B) The period from April 1, 2019, to March 31, 2020
Each employee is also entitled to additional remuneration corresponding to $0.16 for each hour remunerated between April 1, 2019, and March 31, 2020.

This applies to all Health and Social Services sector unions, APTS Article 9.12 , FIQ Article 7.26 and CSN FSSS Article 8.31.