Midwives and young families picket

Groups of midwives and parent supporters gathered in three different locations across the province on Monday to demand better working conditions after a three year impasse on contract negotiations. Assembled in front of the offices of Premier Philippe Couillard in Montreal, Heath Minister Gaétan Barrette in Brossard, and Families Minister Luc Fortin in Sherbrooke, the groups took an hour in the middle of the day to make their voices heard despite a wintery chill in the air. “We have been without a contract since 2015,” said Veronique Cloutier, the Sherbrooke spokesperson for the midwives, calling that span “three years of nothing from the government.” Cloutier explained that Quebec’s midwives operate on a system where they are on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week, but are currently paid the equivalent of less than two dollars an hour for that time. See full story in the Tuesday, March 20th edition of The Record.