Pierre-Boucher Hospital Laundry Room – The CAQ must block the costly (…)

LONGUEUIL, QC, August 2, 2024 – The Minister of Health and Social Services, Christian Dubé, must put his foot down and block the call for tenders launched by the CISSS de la Montérégie-Est, which wants to privatize, against all economic logic, the laundry service of the Pierre-Boucher Hospital. Many jobs are at stake.

Ignoring the CAQ’s commitment to “preserve jobs in the public health and social services network and to prioritize internal work,” the CISSS de la Montérégie-Est is continuing its process of privatizing this Longueuil laundry, which serves 22 public establishments in the health and social services network.

“We are calling on the Minister of Health, Christian Dubé, to respect his commitment made in the new collective agreement in which he recognizes the importance of public services, especially when they generate savings for the health and social services network,” declared Charles Frenette, union officer, during a visibility action in front of the Pierre-Boucher Hospital on Friday.

“When it entrusts its money to the private sector, the public network loses control over costs and the quality of services,” added Charles Frenette. “We know what happened with the very expensive private personnel agencies that the Ministry of Health wants to get rid of in order to stop financing their generous profits.”

The Union of Workers of the CISSS de la Montérégie-Est – CSN asks Christian Dubé:

1- To immediately suspend the call for tenders for the deprivation of the laundry service currently offered at the Pierre-Boucher Hospital in Longueuil and which serves 22 public establishments;

2- To demand that the CISSS de la Montérégie-Est reverse its decision to privatize the laundry room of the Pierre-Boucher Hospital;

3- To demand that the CISSS de la Montérégie-Est invest, as initially planned, in the renovation of the laundry room at the Pierre-Boucher Hospital;

4- That all jobs be maintained at the Pierre-Boucher Hospital laundry.

The STT of the CISSS de la Montérégie-Est is launching a petition this Friday to promote its demands among the population.

Let us point out that the renovation of the laundry room was announced. A renovation that would cost only a tiny proportion of the budget for the expansion and renovation of the Pierre-Boucher Hospital.

Also, on many occasions, successive governments have commissioned studies to assess the profitability of privatizing public network laundries. Even accounting firms have concluded that the public service is more efficient.

The CISSS de la Montérégie-Est is therefore acting against ministerial guidelines in this matter.

The government must allow our teams to present a modern public laundry project based on the accounting work of the firm MCE Conseils.

Article 3.10 of the collective agreement

Valorization, promotion and preservation of public services

3.10 The parties recognize the importance of:

– to maintain quality public services and identify sources of savings;

– to work to maintain and develop the expertise of employees in the public health and social services network;

– to aim to preserve jobs in the public health and social services network and to prioritize internal work;

– to discuss concrete proposals for improving ways of doing things outside the formal context of collective agreement negotiation.