Quebec’s major unions say they are ready to re-examine their role, as they look to reconnect with members and better demonstrate their relevance in today’s society.
Some 500 people are expected to attend a symposium in Drummondville on Tuesday and Wednesday, as part of the General Assembly of Trade Unionism.
They will continue the reflection, launched several months ago, on trade unionism, after having consulted thousands of their members, and even beyond, on what trade unionism should be today.
These general assemblies are supported by nine trade union organizations: the APTS and the FIQ, in the field of health and social services, the SPGQ and the SFPQ, in the field of the public service, as well as the four centrals: FTQ, CSN, CSQ and CSD, as well as the FAE.
“I’m telling you: there’s no agenda. That means that the FTQ is presenting itself at the Estates General; we’ve launched them in listening mode, and for real, and ready to change. That means that we can’t write the minutes of the Estates General before they’re finished; it’s a real consultation,” assured Magali Picard, president of the FTQ, in an interview.
At the Fédération autonome de l’enseignement (FAE), President Mélanie Hubert added: “The public should take away from the process underway among the unions; it is ‘we are capable of questioning ourselves, we are capable of seeing that we are encountering problems; we are capable of hearing the criticism of the members we represent, too’.”
The image of unions, their role in society, the means by which they communicate with their members and with the public, the way they exert their pressure, the place they give to young people and underrepresented groups, everything is on the table, says Robert Comeau, president of the Alliance of Professional and Technical Staff in Health and Social Services (APTS).
“I think the image of unionism needs to be renewed. We need to modernize, both in our approaches and in the way we communicate, to get closer to our members, who are sometimes, perhaps, from minority groups, who may be less familiar with our role as a union in society. So, it’s really an exercise in awareness, so that we can collectively change. Because the goal of all this isn’t to stay the way we are and say that we’re good and clever. The goal of all this is to ask ourselves the real questions,” Comeau summarized.
These unions also want to find ways to boost member participation outside of negotiation periods. The widespread adoption of remote work has also changed the game, creating distance between workers and making mobilization more difficult.
–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews
