Quebec nurses to begin voting Tuesday on conciliator’s proposal for new collective agreement

The 80,000 members of the Fédération interprofessionnelle de la santé du Québec (FIQ) are being asked to vote from Tuesday 8 p.m. to Thursday 8 p.m. on the renewal of their collective agreement.

This follows general assemblies held in recent weeks to inform members about the content of the conciliator's proposal.

The FIQ represents the majority of nurses, practical nurses, respiratory therapists, and clinical perfusionists in Quebec.

The proposal from the conciliator is not an agreement in principle but is seen as "a reasonable balance between the parties," according to the FIQ.

If the proposal is ratified by the members, it will become the new collective agreement. If not, the parties may have to return to the negotiating table.

An agreement in principle was initially reached but rejected by 61% of members last spring, mainly due to concerns over the "mobility flexibility" of nurses.

This issue, which involves nurses moving between care units or even different facilities, was central to the dispute and a key reason for the rejection.

Further clarifications on this flexibility have been made in the recent discussions, which are part of the proposal currently being voted on.