2023-11-11 13:10:44
(Montreal) Employees of the Philippe-Pinel National Institute of Forensic Psychiatry have voted in favor of pressure tactics that could go as far as an indefinite general strike.
This was announced on Saturday by the Union of Professionals of the Government of Quebec (SPGQ), which represents the professional staff of the institute, i.e. 111 people.
Even if it is not part of the common front – which is made up of members of the CSN, the CSQ, the APTS and the FTQ – the SPGQ also negotiates with the Legault government within the framework of the renewal of collective agreements of the public sector.
He is therefore subject to the same salary offer from the employer’s side, that is to say a 10.3% increase over five years, in addition to a single lump sum amount of $1,000 the first year.
According to the president of the SPGQ, Guillaume Bouvrette, this offer is not enough to convince young professionals to choose the Philippe-Pinel Institute and stay there. Currently, the Institute still serves as a “school club” for other institutions, he lamented in an interview with The Canadian Press.
“People leave university, enter employment, gain experience and leave for significantly higher pay elsewhere,” explained Mr. Bouvrette.
“It takes so long to move up the salary scales and have an income commensurate with the expertise that young people, mainly, leave to go elsewhere,” he added.
For its part, the union is demanding minimum salary increases of 17.5% over three years to protect the purchasing power of its members and reduce the salary gap with other sectors.
According to Mr. Bouvrette, the current economic context means that certain professionals at the Philippe-Pinel Institute have no other choice than to take a second job “to make ends meet.”
“We know the cost of living in the Montreal region, it is particularly glaring,” he said.
For the moment, union members are exercising “light” pressure tactics. They therefore promote the blue heart, a symbol of support for the public sector, and use virtual backgrounds calling for better working conditions during video conferences.
The strike mandate that they have just adopted could go as far as an unlimited general strike, but the objective is not to immediately trigger a strike over a long period, specified Mr. Bouvrette. Also, in the event of a strike, essential services will be maintained.
Negotiations between the union and the employer are still ongoing in this matter.
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