A wind of change is blowing through Quebec trade unionism. Telework, mental health, labor shortage: the negotiations have changed scenery. In the process, the Quebec Federation of Labor (FTQ) changed its face. A first woman was elected as its head. A few weeks after Magali Picard took office, she put her cards on the table. Interview.
Magali Picard may pride herself on being the first woman to lead the FTQ, but she retains the biting tone of her predecessors. “We are tiring, we are going to be tiring, and the government already finds us tiring”, she drops, a smile in her voice, after an hour of discussion with The duty.
Defending tooth and nail the fate of 600,000 union members is no longer enough for this longtime trade unionist. It is about “being part of a movement that is there for social justice, present in public debates”.
Systemic racism? Intersectionality? The FTQ is taking these new concepts head-on to defend its members. “We are looking at what the impacts will be [d’une décision] on the different communities in society. That’s the meaning. It’s a reflex that is essential, as far as I’m concerned,” explains Magali Picard, who is also of Wendat origin.
She does not hide it; this up-to-date discourse opens the door to young generations detached from the collective struggles of yesteryear.
“We have members who question themselves or who think that the union was once necessary, but that it is less necessary today,” concedes M.me Picard. “Or even that the conditions of employment that they have, they have them because they are good employees, and that they, personally, do not need unions. »
All-out opposition
The voice of the FTQ will blow like a headwind against the conservatism of the Legault government. Some might even think that Quebec has just found its unofficial opposition in the National Assembly. Magali Picard insists on this point: “the FTQ is not the branch of any political party. »
Nevertheless, she jumps into the political arena as soon as the words “tax cut” are pronounced. This promise of the Coalition avenir Québec does not pass for the new standard-bearer of the left.
“Why tax cuts? To still help the better off? Because the poorest do not pay taxes. It is not our people, who are the least well off, who pay the most taxes, that is not true. And in fact, we are once again coming to enrich people who are relatively well off in Quebec. We are the most taxed, but at the same time, we have the best social programs. We can be proud of it. »
We look at what the impacts will be [d’une décision] on the different communities in society
At the federal level too, the FTQ intends to regain its voice in the chapter. She will testify before a parliamentary committee to plead the defense of French in the context of the reform of the Official Languages Act. Again, the tone is sharp: “There can not be two laws two measures. It just takes one. It is absolutely necessary that what we bring to Quebec be applicable to everyone. And that, to me, is non-negotiable. To have this bill arrive which could result in certain companies under federal jurisdiction having different conditions than those in Quebec is unacceptable! »
A fight near you
Beyond the big ideas, Magali Picard will also — and above all — have to meet the expectations of her members at the negotiating table. His first showdown is fast approaching. Quebec and its employees are already negotiating to renew the collective agreements which expire at the end of March.
Salary and working conditions are at the top of the demands. No question of extending consultation beyond measure, she warns. The Treasury Board’s proposal to form three “forums” (“class team”, “mental health team” and “care team”) alongside the negotiation tables does not pass to the union council. The door is double-locked.
These “forums” do not have legal force, claims Magali Picard. “Both parties could back down at any time and change their minds. It is well known that when governments want to save time, they create committees. They call it forums now. »
It is to believe that the rag is already burning. Prime Minister François Legault denounced the “logic of closure” of the unions in late February in a Facebook post.
This frontal attack makes Magali Picard jump from her chair as president. “It’s useless. It becomes a disinformation campaign. Our people are already stressed, tired, exhausted. They don’t need to feel that their bosses, their unions are bickering like that. And they have a message that the unions don’t want to sit down and negotiate. Attention, you have had our requests for a long time. »
To start her three-year mandate on the right foot, the administrator is planning a tour of the regions of Quebec. Too often have labor struggles been centered in Montreal, she says. A first convention will be held this spring on the North Shore, for example. “We are going to see in the regions. What is your reality? What is your battle? [le prolongement de la] 138? We’re going to talk about the 138. We’re going to hold press conferences in the region. »
By ending the interview, Magali Picard leaves an impression of deja-vu. The FTQ is stepping back a few decades to change direction. It is no longer just a negotiator that the federation has at its head, but also an activist.