The President of the Quebec Federation of Labour (FTQ) delivered a barn burner to convention about the repeated right-wing attacks against labour unions across Canada, including in Quebec.
“We have housing issues, cost-of-living issues, our social services cannot keep up. Over the last few years, inflation has choked the working class, and Donald Trump is now finishing the job. Thousands of jobs are lost, and industrial base is falling apart,” she said.
Magali Picard also spoke about the Quebec government’s new anti-union bill which attacks the right to strike by giving the Minister of Labour the extraordinary power to end a strike if it is inconvenient to the population.
The same government is about to table a bill that would weaken the Rand formula and make optional the part of dues that goes towards advocacy.
Picard ended her speech with a vibrant appeal to trade unionists. She said unions need to reconnect with their members and their base to remind them of all the gains made, thanks to the labour movement.
“I am telling you: in Québec, we will do just like Mark did in the Air Canada file. He paved the way. We will not kneel down,” she declared. “If we need to, we will bring every bill in front of the courts and if we need to organize a civil strike, we will.”