This text is part of the special section Unionism
While conducting negotiations with the Quebec government, the Quebec Federation of Workers (FTQ) is observing the federal scene. The union organization is closely monitoring the rise of the right in view of the next elections.
At the provincial level, the FTQ describes Quebec’s salary proposals as “insulting”, summarizes Magali Picard, president of the FTQ. She highlights high inflation to justify the fact that employer offers are seen as insufficient. “It is not true that state workers will once again accept an offer below the cost of living. That would mean that there would be another setback in terms of employment conditions,” she said.
An analysis by the Institute of Statistics of Quebec revealed that provincial government employees receive 18.6% less than people employed by state corporations, universities, federal institutions and municipalities. .
A worrying conservative rise
The FTQ also monitors the rise in popularity of the Conservative Party of Canada (PCC) on the federal scene. Last September, a survey conducted by the Léger firm concluded that the right-wing party on the political spectrum was increasing in voting intentions. “Honestly, I’m very worried. Pierre Poilievre gives the impression of being there for the middle class and the less well off, when it is absolutely the opposite,” accuses M.me Picard.
The Conservative leader “has always been scary. But today, the fact that he is at the head of his party and that he has modified his speech to seem more interesting is really worrying,” adds the president of the FTQ. It thus wishes to warn its members of the policies that a conservative government could introduce if it came first in the next elections.
“We can remember that it was not in Stephen Harper’s platform to change the old age pension from 65 to 67 years old. He had done it. Employment insurance reform was not in his program. It was one of the first things he announced when he seized power,” she recalls.
Several requests to Ottawa
The FTQ welcomes the announcement by federal Labor Minister Seamus O’Regan, who confirmed the adoption of anti-scab legislation during a demonstration held in Ottawa in September. The union organization, however, is firmly awaiting the adoption of this law, the result of the agreement between the New Democratic Party (NDP) and the Liberals. “It will be a historic moment. We have been asking for something like this for decades. But what we want is for the bill to be tabled, press Mme Picard. Currently, it is too easy for employers to either let their workers go on strike, or even trigger a lockout and hire scabs. It’s not moral, but it is legal. And many do. »
The president of the FTQ also wants Ottawa to implement universal drug insurance. She also criticizes the coverage currently offered in Quebec, which is insufficient. “A daycare technician told me a month ago that she had to choose between buying her child’s medication or feeding her family. Nothing is covered under this insurance,” she explains. Mme Picard wants the governments of Quebec and Ottawa to cooperate in order to move this issue forward.
Improving conditions for foreign workers
In order to improve the situation of certain migrants who hold a closed work permit, the FTQ is calling on the federal government to put an end to this type of visa. “Unfortunately, too often, these people become slaves to certain employers, who have no morals. This all starts from the fact that they are prisoners of an employer. That, in Canada in 2023, it’s impossible for it to exist,” pleads Mme Picard.
Mme Picard also highlights the need to better support seasonal workers. “If we lose these people, a large part of our economy will be in danger. Employment insurance must be adapted to meet their needs and we must not abandon them when the season does not allow them to work,” believes the unionist.
A threat of strike
In order to continue negotiations and put pressure on the Quebec government, the FTQ has held numerous strike votes in recent weeks. “This is a first in my union career: an average of more than 95% in favor, with 100% in some places. Never seen before,” underlines Mme Picard.
She believes that the workers she represents “have nothing left to lose”. “The conditions are bad, the salaries are not competitive,” she laments. With strike votes and demonstrations, the president of the FTQ believes that “the government has everything it needs to do its homework and come back with respectable offers.”
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