A special labor union for nursing in the province of Quebec, representing 80,000 workers in the healthcare sector, recently rejected the latest contract offer presented by the province yesterday, Friday, and urged its members to refuse overtime starting September 19.

The Quebec Health Professionals Union (FIQ) is the only major union that does not have a labor contract after last year's widespread labor struggle, which led to the closure of hundreds of schools for weeks and delays in surgical operations.

A few days ago, the union celebrated 500 days without a collective agreement, which ended on March 31, 2023.

The Nursing Union in Queensland represents most nurses in the province, as well as respiratory therapists and clinical perfusionists — the technicians who operate blood pumps during heart surgery.

Overtime threatens to cause a major disruption in the healthcare network, as employees are routinely required to work extra hours due to widespread labor shortages, especially among nurses.

The union states that the latest proposal put forward by the government demands more flexibility from its members regarding transfers.

The Treasury Board President, Sonia LeBel, rejected the union's interpretation of the government's offer.

LeBel wrote yesterday, Friday, on her "X" account, stating: “It is wrong to say that the government wants to increase transfers. It is irresponsible to scare the public while our goal is to provide better care for them through better organization of work in hospitals. This is always with adequate training and on a voluntary basis.”

The Quebec Nurses Union expressed concern about the consequences of transferring nurses throughout the healthcare system.

Luc Mathieu, the head of the organization, wrote on Facebook: “We must start from the premise that nurses are not interchangeable.”

He stated that transfers may succeed under certain conditions, such as when a nurse from a long-term care home moves to a long-term care unit in a healthcare facility. But a nurse in a senior care home cannot be moved to an intensive care unit.