Nearly 200 of Sherbrooke’s youth protection workers demonstrated for their safety. Photo by William Crooks

By William Crooks

Local Journalism Initiative

On May 15, youth protection workers held a march from the Youth Centre office in Sherbrooke to the office of CEO Stéphane Tremblay on Argyll Street.

The purpose of the march was to deliver signed forms denouncing the numerous assaults occurring in the course of their work. The march comes days after the physical assault last week on a worker from the Direction de la protection de la jeunesse.

The Alliance du personnel professionnel et technique de la santé et des services sociaux (APTS) represents approximately 60,000 members who play an essential role in the functioning of the health and social services network, including nearly 5,000 at the CIUSSS de l’Estrie CHUS.

APTS Estrie Union Representative Danny Roulx was on the scene and led the demonstration through Sherbrooke after saying a few words of encouragement to those gathered.

“Following the aggression at the Palais de Justice last week… we find it deplorable how the administration has not listened to us,” Roulx said to The Record in a short interview in person before the march. More measures should be put in place, he added, and a recent meeting with the administration May 10 went poorly.

He said youth protection workers are mobilizing this week to let everyone know they experience too much physical, verbal, and non-verbal aggression and it is unacceptable. They are not always safe at work, and adding security measures has been difficult to work out with their employer. He said something must be put in place quickly to safeguard employees’ physical and psychological safety.

Aggression can come from the youth under their protection, but also parents. “[Youth protection workers] give excellent service to the population with all their hearts,” he said. Their security at work must be assured to prevent service interruptions or the workers quitting due to their lack of safety.

Roulx said the Palais de Justice does not have the resources to handle the problem on its own. Moreover, the workers need security everywhere they work, morning and night. They simply do not feel administration is listening, and they are passionately calling for more support.