William Crooks
APTS members demonstrate in Sherbrooke on Sept. 24 to demand payment of premiums nearly a year overdue

By William Crooks

Local Journalism Initiative

Nearly a year after premiums promised in their collective agreement were due, health and social service professionals gathered in Sherbrooke on Sept. 24 to demand action. The protest, organized by the Alliance du personnel professionnel et technique de la santé et des services sociaux (APTS), drew members to King Ouest Street to denounce what the union called “an unacceptable bungle.”

The premiums, negotiated in 2023, were meant to recognize difficult working conditions such as evening, night and weekend shifts, as well as assignments in long-term care centres (CHSLDs), youth protection, psychiatry, and services for clients with serious behavioural disorders. The APTS says in a release these bonuses are essential for staff retention and for maintaining the quality of care offered to Quebecers.

But close to a year after the deadline set out in the collective agreement, the union says large amounts remain unpaid. Members are dealing with application errors, missing retroactive sums, and what they call unjustified delays. “It is a sad anniversary that we are marking today. Waiting so long to receive duly negotiated sums is simply unacceptable,” said APTS President Robert Comeau in a statement released ahead of the protest. “Our members are at the end of their rope. These delays show a blatant disregard for the commitments made and for the people who keep the network alive on a daily basis.”

On the ground in Sherbrooke, frustration was clear. “We don’t want excuses anymore, we want to be paid!” a representative told the crowd, adding: “We are going to be strong, and we are going to keep fighting!”

Demonstrators were reminded to stay safe while making their discontent visible. “We are going to tell our people that we’re angry and we’re not giving up!” the representative said as participants lined both sides of King Ouest to form a corridor of protest.

The APTS argues that the slow rollout of premiums not only undermines morale but also raises practical concerns for members who are unsure whether they will ever see all the money owed. “After all this time, how will people be able to make sure that all the money owed to them has been paid? It’s a huge mess,” Comeau said. “Our members are proud to offer services to the population, and we expect their employers to treat them better than that in return.”

The union is demanding that Santé Quebec assume responsibility and ensure that institutions across the health and social services network meet their obligations. It is calling for all premiums to be paid without further delay, along with legal interest, and for what it describes as “chaotic management” to be brought to an end.

Representing more than 68,000 members across Quebec, the APTS includes professionals and technicians in diagnostics, rehabilitation, nutrition, psychosocial intervention, and clinical support. The union says its members play a vital role in keeping the health network running, but they cannot continue to do so under conditions where their negotiated compensation is left hanging.