The use of agencies at the CISSS de la Côte-Nord again denounced by unions

The Northeastern Quebec Health Workers’ Union (SIISNEQ) and the Quebec Health Federation (FSQ) reacted Monday to the report published at the end of the week in the newspaper The Hurry about independent labor on the North Shore.

When it is made that it is the members of the management themselves who report, in the media, on their deficient management, it shows how badly things are goingdeclares in writing the President of the SIISNEQNortheastern Quebec Health Workers UnionNathalie Savard, in a press release.

Nathalie Savard is president of SIISNEQ, which represents nurses in northeastern Quebec (archives).

Photo: Radio-Canada / Daniel Fontaine

In January, the CISSSIntegrated Health and Social Services Center de la Côte-Nord indicated that it was forecasting a budget deficit of $64.6 million for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2022.

According to the communications advisor for the CISSSIntegrated Health and Social Services Center of the region, Pascal Paradis, between 65 and 70% of these millions of dollars are attributable to the use of the services of employees of private agencies.

The two unions affiliated with the Centrale des unions du Québec (CSQ) claim that the management of the CISSSIntegrated Health and Social Services Center de la Côte-Nord has eliminated 140 nursing and nursing assistant positions over the past two years, while nurses from employment agencies are increasingly numerous on the floors.

” I have the impression that the employer is trying to recover the deficit on the backs of the people who currently work at the CISSSIntegrated Health and Social Services Center of the North Shore. »

[Les 140 postes] are cuts in CHSLDResidential and long-term care center or in departments like psychiatry where it’s hard to get people. Perhaps these positions are vacant for the moment, but at the same time, we have to work to recruit these people.adds the union president.

the CISSSIntegrated Health and Social Services Center of the Côte-Nord does not wish to react to the declarations of the unions, indicates Pascal Paradis.

Ms. Savard notes that the first thing to do is find a way to talk to each other.

The two unions would like to meet with the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MSSS) as well as the CISSSIntegrated Health and Social Services Center of the region to solve small problems.

If we invested in the [montant de 64,6] million dollars, a percentage to put teams back in place and to give certain advantages to the people who work in our network, I think it could be a win for everyoneemphasizes Ms. Savard.

In total, the costs of independent labor in the CISSSIntegrated Health and Social Services Center Côte-Nord are estimated at $84 million for 2021-2022, according to data provided by Pascal Paradis. In comparison, for 2015-2016, they were $7 million.