The four major unions that represent over 15,500 employees at Montréal West Island CIUSSS paint a worrisome picture of the staffing cuts that are underway. A second major wave is currently being implemented, following the initial cuts that stemmed from the budget recovery plan announced in November. Both waves of cuts include limiting overtime, abolishing positions, cancelling job postings, freezing external hiring, cancelling temporary extra workload assignments and replacements, as well as completely closing kitchens, hampering services to users.
The four unions paint a bleak picture of the first wave, and are issuing a warning about the impact the second wave, now underway, will have. They have proposed alternate solutions.
“These successive waves of cuts are resulting in a clear deterioration in health and social services for people on the West Island,” said Maxime Bernard, president of CUPE 2881, which represents around 5,000 Class 2 employees at Montréal West Island CIUSSS. “Housekeeping has been pared back, leading to less sterile conditions, growing surgical wait lists, and reduced hygiene care for patients; essentially, a staff shortage means more limited care.”
“We’re worried that in the coming months we’ll be back to the vicious circle we saw during the pandemic: excessive workloads, exhaustion, disability leaves and staff shortages,” said Maxence Corriveau, president of the SPSSODIM (Syndicat des professionnelles en soins de santé de l’Ouest-de-l’Île-de-Montréal), which represents over 3,300 nurses, licensed practical nurses and respiratory therapists and is affiliated with the FIQ (Fédération interprofessionnelle de la santé du Québec). “How can anyone think these cuts won’t impact the quality and safety of care? Was exhaustive workforce planning done? It looks like the summer will be particularly challenging.”
“Since the budget cuts began, the working environment has seriously deteriorated,” said Alexandra Boisrond, president for Montréal West Island CIUSSS at the APTS, which represents over 2,500 Class 4 employees at Montréal West Island CIUSSS. “The CIUSSS is cutting Class 4 positions everywhere: 34 in health care and 61 in social services have been abolished. This is terrible for both attracting and retaining employees: people are at the end of their rope! There are a growing number of complaints: the employer is cutting indiscriminately and doesn’t care about the impact on people, either on our members or on service users, who deserve the best possible care.”
“In terms of administrative staff, we’re constantly on the verge of a break in service,” said Sophie Létourneau local SQEES-FTQ president, which represents around 1,900 Class 3 members at Montréal West Island CIUSSS. “With the second wave of cuts, summer vacation around the corner and no overtime replacements, we’re even worried about department closures. This is why we suggest planning temporary extra work overload assignments on problematic days. We also suggest rebalancing schedules to ensure quotas are sufficient or near sufficient every day.”