Unionist Gérald Larose has bitter memories of businessman Raymond Malenfant, who died on Friday at the age of 91, more than three decades after the Manoir Richelieu conflict, which marked Quebec.
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“In 16 years of presidency of the Confederation of National Trade Unions (CSN), he is the only boss with whom I have never been able to speak, he never wanted”, laments Mr. Larose, contacted by The newspaper, today.
The labor dispute between the two men began in 1986, following the acquisition of the Manoir Richelieu, in La Malbaie, by Mr. Malenfant.
Claiming to have bought only one building, despite an active collective agreement, the hotelier decided not to rehire the approximately 300 employees of the place.
The dispute lasted for two years, during which violent protests erupted.
A man, Gaston Harvey, even lost his life during one of them, strangled by a police officer from the Sûreté du Québec.
Regret
It was the Supreme Court of Canada that finally put an end to the conflict by ruling in favor of Raymond Malenfant in 1988.
But the latter was forced to declare bankruptcy four years later when the state demanded millions of dollars from him.
“He was a narrow-minded and deceitful man who had a deep contempt for the workforce. His business model could not last ”, cowardly the ex-president of the CSN, still bitter almost 35 years after the events.
Even today, and despite the “defeat”, Gérald Larose is convinced of the legitimacy of this “battle”.
His only regret is never having been able to explain himself face to face with Raymond Malenfant.
Not fundamentally bad
The screenwriter behind the miniseries Malenfant, published in 2011, Claude Paquette, however, paints a slightly more flattering portrait of the former owner of Manoir Richelieu.
His research led him to rub shoulders with the man, his relatives, his employees and even his business adversaries for nearly two years.
His observation: Raymond Malenfant did not seem to have any enemies, despite his tumultuous journey.
“He was a phenomenon, his actions were always at extremes and he sparked a lot of controversy. But everyone saw him as a very nice human being, ”says Mr. Paquette.
“I wasn’t able to find people who hated him and it wasn’t for lack of trying! He adds, laughing.