Unions and labor organizations confronted Quebec Labor Minister Jean Boulet yesterday at the inauguration of a construction project in Trois-Rivières. He has come under heavy criticism since the tabling of Bill 89, which would significantly increase the government's power to prevent strikes.
Friday morning's protest is at least the third major action against the Minister of Labour since the announcement of his repressive legislation at the end of February. A few days later, the Alliance Ouvrière construction caucus organized a rally in front of the office of the Conseil consultatif du travail et de la main-d'œuvre to denounce the law.
Last week, protesters succeeded in preventing the CAQ minister from addressing the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal. Some thirty activists infiltrated the event to disrupt it, while hundreds of others clashed with police outside, trying to gain entry. A window was broken and the riot police arrived after more than an hour of tension.
Finally, yesterday morning, the Minister felt the pressure of a hundred or so demonstrators. They tried to slow down his arrival, but Mr. Boulet entered, escorted by a police procession, without even glancing at the unionists.
On his way out, activists bypassed the police blockade and briefly prevented his departure. The situation heated up when Trois-Rivières police officers threatened and shoved the protesters. The driver of the service car, with the Minister in the back, then sped off.
An unusual bill, an unusual response
Bill 89 would give the Quebec government the power to stop any strike that threatens the “social, economic or environmental security” of the population, without specifying the criteria. The Minister could also force strikers to maintain services “ensuring the well-being of the population”. Finally, he would be able to impose a collective agreement by arbitration, without going through negotiations.
Unions are critical of the bill, deeming the notion of “public safety” too vague, which could allow the Minister to halt almost all strikes, to the benefit of employers and the oligarchy. Magalie Picard, president of the FTQ, urged activists to “hunt down” the Minister, saying he shouldn't rest until the law is withdrawn.
The CAQ's anti-worker measures have taken a heavy toll on its popularity. In the fall of 2023, the strike by hundreds of thousands of public sector workers sent his approval rating plummeting, and it has not recovered since. According to electoral projection site Qc125, the CAQ could lose 72 of its 86 seats in the next election.