Unions slam Quebec government for adopting law limiting strikes

Quebec’s bill limiting the scope of strikes was adopted Thursday, and labour unions are calling it a “dark day” for all workers.

“The premier and his labour minister have clearly failed to grasp the extent of the damage that this new legislation will cause,” said the heads of nine major unions in a news release.

The Coalition Avenir Québec and the Liberals voted for the bill, while the Parti Québécois and Québec Solidaire voted against it. It passed with 94 votes.

Labour Minister Jean Boulet said the bill intended to “take into consideration the needs of the population,” and said, “whether it’s a strike or lockout, it’s important to find the right balance.”

He tried to position himself as a defender of families, parents and bereaved individuals in several sectors, saying they can be “vulnerable and powerless in the face of labour disputes.”

• READ MORE: Bill to limit the right to strike: Quebec unions ask for meeting with Legault

There were 759 work stoppages (90 per cent of which were strikes) in Quebec in 2024, the highest of all Canadian provinces.

Under the new law, arbitrators can determine the content of a collective agreement in order to end a labour dispute in certain cases.

Workers must now maintain “minimum services,” rather than “essential services,” during a strike or lockout to ensure the “well-being of the population” and avoid “disproportionately affecting the social, economic or environmental security” of the population.

The Alliance du personnel professionnel et technique de la santé et des services sociaux (APTS), Centrale des syndicats démocratiques (CSD), Confédération des syndicats nationaux (CSN), Centrale des syndicats du Québec (CSQ), Fédération Autonome de l’Enseignement (FAE), Fédération interprofessionnelle de la santé du Québec (FIQ), Fédération des travailleurs et travailleuses du Québec (FTQ), Syndicat de la fonction publique et parapublique du Québec (SFPQ) and Syndicat de professionnelles et professionnels du gouvernement du Québec (SPGQ) all came out against Bill 89.

Minister turning ‘everything upside down’

The unions say there was already a “fragile balance” between workers and employers.

“Trade unions cannot understand why Jean Boulet wanted to turn everything upside down, except to subject all employees to the whims of employers and to please employers and a cabinet with anti-union tendencies,” they said.

“The framework surrounding the exercise of the right to strike, which was limited overall, offered workers the opportunity to improve their conditions within clear guidelines. The minister seems to have found excuses to trample on their rights.”

Québec Solidaire’s Alexandre Leduc called the law “discriminatory” and “authoritarian,” saying it gives the Labour Minister too much power to break strikes.

He sided with the unions, pointing out that there are already provisions protecting essential services when it comes to labour disputes that have proven successful.

• READ MORE: Are the number of Quebec strikes taking the province hostage?

Boulet pushed back saying the decisions will be handed down by impartial and independent parties like the Labour Tribunal and arbitrators.

He told journalists that he wants those mechanisms to be used “very sparingly.”

Leduc maintained that strikes are preceded by months of negotiations, and “it’s not fun for anyone to go on strike” but it is one of the only tools to demand better working conditions and “improve the quality of life for the middle class.”

He also said employers often stall negotiations, but “no one talks about that perspective.”

Law could end up before the courts

The unions say the impact of the bill will be felt even by non-unionized workers.

“The gains achieved through bargaining exert positive pressure on non-unionized sectors, forcing employers to adjust to remain competitive. The government is attacking the entire Quebec workforce by limiting workers’ ability to defend and improve their working conditions,” they said.

Pay equity, the establishment of the public child care network, the minimum wage, and parental leave are “just some of the gains achieved through union mobilization,” they added.

Interim Liberal leader Marc Tanguay agreed with Boulet on the importance of “striking a balance” while respecting the fundamental right to strike. Unions can contest the law in court, he said.

The unions believe the law would not hold up in court.

Meanwhile, they say the Labour Minister is “not open to discussion” to find a mutually satisfactory solution, and “trust has been broken.”