Canada: the Quebecois union elected its new leadership for trade union renewal
To close its 41th Congress, the Centrale des syndicats du Québec elected its new Executive Committee tasked with combating austerity measures that are aimed at cutting funding to the province’s education system.
Education International (EI) welcomes the election of five leaders by the 900 delegate at the Congress of the Centrale des syndicats du Québec(CSQ) in Quebec City from 26-29 June.
President of the CSQ since 2012, Louise Chabot re-elections sees her join the new leadership as the trade union is confronted by “an extremely worrying socio-political environment”, she noted, referring to a bill specifically aimed to force trade unions to make their expenses public could soon be adopted by the Quebec’s Senate.
In the face of these new realities, trade unionism itself must evolve, Chabot said. “There must be a trade union renewal. Trade unionism is changing, so are our members. This change concerns our ways of doing things, as well as our organisation.”
Chabot added that “the trade union movement remains relevant, but has been through a lot these last years.”
Noting that public authorities want to confine it to the sole sector of negotiations on work conditions, she underlined that “the CSQ must not fall for it”, and “it is important that our value be acknowledged”.
The CSQ Executive Committee is now composed as follows:
- Louise Chabot, President
- Sonia Ethier, 1st Vice-President
- Line Camerlain, 2e Vice-President
- Mario Beauchemin, 3e Vice-President
- Daniel B. Lafrenière, Secretary-Treasurer; also member of the EI Executive Board.
