Quebec trade unions say they are ready to take a hard look at themselves

Magali Picard, President of la Fédération des travailleurs et travailleuses du Québec (FTQ), joins Canadian Labour Congress President Bea Bruske at a news conference calling for federal supports for workers amid U.S. tariffs, in Ottawa, on Wednesday, April 2, 2025. THE (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press)

Quebec’s major trade unions say they are ready to take a hard look at themselves, leaving no stone unturned to reconnect with their members and better explain their role in society.

Some 500 people are expected to attend a conference in Drummondville on Tuesday and Wednesday, as part of the Trade Union Forum.

The unions say they plan to continue discussions, first launched several months ago, having consulted thousands of members – and beyond – on what trade unionism means today.

The general assemblies are supported by the trade union organizations:

• the Alliance du personnel professionnel et technique de la santé et des services sociaux (APTS) and the Fédération interprofessionnelle de la santé du Québec (FIQ) in the health and social services sector,
• the Syndicat de professionnelles et professionnels du gouvernement du Québec (SPGQ) and the Syndicat de la fonction publique et parapublique du Québec (SFPQ) in the public service sector,

And the four confederations:

• Fédération des travailleurs et travailleuses du Québec (FTQ),
• Confédération des syndicats nationaux (CSN),
• Centrale des syndicats du Québec (CSQ) and Centrale des syndicats démocratiques (CSD), and
• Fédération autonome de l’enseignement (FAE)

“I’m telling you: there is no hidden agenda. This means the FTQ is taking part in the general assembly; we launched it in a listening mode for real, ready to change,” said FTQ president Magali Picard. “It means we cannot write the minutes of the general assembly before it is over; it is a genuine consultation.”

FAE President Mélanie Hubert added: “What the public needs to take away from the process currently underway within the unions is this: we are capable of questioning ourselves, we are capable of seeing that we are running into problems; we are capable of listening to the criticism of the members we represent.”

The image of the unions, their role in society, how they communicate with their members and the public, how they exercise pressure tactics, the place they give to young people and under-represented groups – everything is on the table, noted Robert Comeau, president of the APTS.

“I think the image of trade unionism needs to be refreshed. We need to modernize, both in our approach and in the way we communicate, and get closer to our members, who are sometimes, perhaps, from minority backgrounds and who may be a little less familiar with our role as a trade union in society,” said Comeau.

“It’s really an exercise in raising awareness, so that we can change collectively because the aim of all this isn’t to stay as we are and say we’re good and we’re clever. The aim of all this is to ask real questions.”

The unions say they also want to find ways to encourage their members’ participation outside of bargaining periods.

The widespread adoption of remote working has also changed the landscape, creating a distance between workers and making mobilization more difficult.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on March 31, 2026.