Inuulitsivik health network pens defamation notice to union over petition
Petition calls for Quebec health minister to remove health network’s assistant executive director
Management at Inuulitsivik health network say they were surprised to find out about a petition nurses launched demanding intervention from Quebec’s health minister. Pictured here is the health clinic in Salluit, operated by Inuulitsivik health network. (Photo courtesy of Cyril Gabreau)
Updated Thursday, Feb. 16 at 4 p.m.
Inuulitsivik health network management is penning a defamation notice to the head of the Nunavik Hudson Bay coast nurses union over a petition calling for Quebec’s health minister to improve working conditions in the region.
The petition, which has more than 100 signatures, calls on Health Minister Christian Dubé to intervene in negotiations between Inuulitsivik and the Northern Union of Hudson Bay Nurses.
The Inuulitsivik health network is responsible for operations at seven health centres along the Hudson coast, from Kuujjuaraapik to Salluit.
Juliette Rolland, a senior adviser in executive management at Inuulitsivik, said Thursday the defamation notice is in response to the petition’s call for Dubé to remove the health centre’s assistant executive director from her position.
“She is the person who is working the hardest to improve the working conditions,” Rolland said in an email to Nunatsiaq News.
“It really seems there is something personal here, but we can’t find what it is.”
Rolland said management planned to send the letter to Cyril Gabreau, who is the head of the union, later Thursday. The goal is to avoid a libel lawsuit.
The identity of the assistant executive director singled out for removal is not clear, and the union has not listed any specific allegations against her.
Gabreau emailed a link to the petition and a brief statement to Nunatsiaq News Wednesday morning, but since then has not responded to multiple emailed requests for follow-up.
The Quebec Interprofessional Health Federation, which represents nurses on a provincial level, has spent the past week running a social media campaign titled “Laissez-nous Soigner,” or “Let Us Care” in English.
That campaign has been calling on Dubé to improve working conditions for nurses across Quebec, but especially those in the north of the province.
The petition was launched as part of the “Let Us Care” social media campaign.
Rolland said she only became aware of the petition after being contacted by Nunatsiaq News Wednesday ahead of a meeting with her colleagues.
Nurses on Nunavik’s Hudson Bay coast have been calling for solutions to improve their working conditions, citing long hours, burnout and staffing shortages.
In the petition, they accuse Inuulitsivik management of creating a toxic workplace. Last month, nurses walked off the job for a few hours in protest, before a labour tribunal ordered them to go back to work.
Rolland said Inuulitisivik brings in nurses from private agencies, and wants to use more in order to help alleviate staff burnout.
She said among the moves made to provide more support in the villages, managers have met to bring in nurses from other nursing programs, requests have been made to midwife program managers for support with childbirth follow-ups, and Inuulitisivik has received nursing support from the Red Cross.
However, she said, the union keeps adding demands such as pay increases, which are negotiated at the provincial level. She also said some union members are threatening to quit.
“We hope that the local union will understand that our institution is constantly mobilized for them and working with them, following the order of the requests received and carefully analyzing and responding to them,” Rolland said.
“It’s a shame that it’s an entire establishment, and especially clients, who suffer in the end.”
Clarification: This article was updated to include more of the moves Inuulitsivik has taken to increase support for nurses
If you sue the union on defamation they’ll be happy to use the truth as a defence to their comments. You guys need some communications advice
Talk about frivolous lawsuits.
“It really seems there is something personal here, but we can’t find what it is.”
“The identity of the assistant executive director singled out for removal is not clear, and the union has not listed any specific allegations against her.”
This will go over well after wasting valuable Judicial resources.
“However, she said, the union keeps adding demands such as pay increases, which are negotiated at the provincial level. She also said some union members are threatening to quit.”
How dare the Union do Union things!? I wouldn’t have threatened to quit; I would have done it.
“In the petition, they accuse Inuulitsivik management of creating a toxic workplace.”
Given the reaction to this petition I’m inclined to believe them.