In April, nurses in Quebec, members of the Fédération interprofessionnelle de la santé du Québec–FIQ (FIQ), sent a powerful message to the government, declaring that the current healthcare negotiations were not over. They spoke with a strong and resolute voice, convinced that their healthcare system deserved better and that the population needed improved care conditions.

The government, however, appears to be turning a deaf ear. Nurses are being ignored by the government and the new head of Santé Québec, Geneviève Biron, who refused to meet with representatives from Quebec during her tour to assess the state of the network. The message is clear: leaders continue to refuse to listen to the women who make up the vast majority of the healthcare system.

The Government's Inflexible Stance

Negotiations are at a standstill, not because it's difficult to negotiate with the FIQ, but because they're facing an inflexible government that insists on demanding more from nurses. They are being asked to work overtime, both mandatory and voluntary, take on contingency plans, shoulder more workload, accept shorter or shifted vacations, and now, deal with mobility requirements. The government is pushing nurses to accept more, at the expense of patient care safety and their own health. The mobility demand, in its current form, is the last straw.

The Government's Disrespect for Nurses' Concerns

Sonia LeBel, the Minister and President of the Treasury Board, stated that nurses had "not understood" the government's proposals. This statement, however, was an insult and a direct infantilization of the nurses, who understood the implications perfectly well and were, through their refusal, trying to raise the alarm about the dangers of excessive mobility and departmental mergers. The FIQ takes this warning very seriously, but the government continues to ignore it.

The Government's Attempt to Silence Nurses

During the eight days of strike action in the fall of 2023, the Caquist government issued directives to healthcare employers to suspend numerous rights of nurses. These retaliatory measures were a harsh blow, as nurses vividly remember the excessive sanctions and fines imposed during strikes in 1989 and 1999. The government's intention to dampen the nurses' spirit while they were exercising a fundamental right, already heavily restricted by the law ensuring the maintenance of essential services, was clear.

Recently, the Administrative Labour Tribunal (TAT) ruled in favor of the FIQ, declaring that the suspension of seniority accumulation imposed by the CISSS de l'Abitibi-Témiscamingue during the fall strikes constituted illegal retaliation. The FIQ is actively working to have this judgment upheld and extended to the entire province so that its members regain the seniority they lost as a result of government directives while exercising a fundamental right. The government is doing everything in its power to hide these delinquent and anti-union practices by challenging the TAT's ruling. The damage has been done. These measures are contributing to silencing nurses, intimidating women who are mobilizing to ensure good care conditions for Quebec.

Nurses Rising to the Challenge

The outcry from nurses in April should have had an impact on the negotiations; the government should have finally heard what they had been explaining for months. The failures of recent reforms should have convinced Ms. Biron of the importance of listening to nurses, who are best positioned to understand the challenges of the healthcare system.

The Need for Dialogue

Is this a wishful thought? Perhaps. But when over 80,000 women, both citizens and employees, have something to say, it is reasonable to listen. Perhaps Ms. Biron will learn from the mistakes of the past by accepting requests for meetings. However, today, it is clear that the government is not reasonable and is not interested in hearing the solutions that nurses have to offer for the healthcare system. The government has no intention of taking steps towards the nurses, and they will once again have to fight to ensure the quality and safety of healthcare in Quebec.

Today, nurses are preparing for a strong back-to-school season filled with pressure tactics. Nurses will make themselves heard; the government and the new leaders of Santé Québec must understand that they can no longer ignore them.