Minister Boulet tables his bill to reform Quebec union system
Posted October 30, 2025 11:39 am.
Last Updated October 30, 2025 2:16 pm.
After targeting doctors, the Legault government is opening another front, this time against unions.
Quebec Labour Minister Jean Boulet just tabled his bill to make part of union dues optional.
The minister wants workers to be able to vote to ensure that part of their dues are not used for activities other than defending their rights.
Several controversies involving unions have made headlines in recent years, prompting the government to take action.
In Nov. 2023, FTQ President Magali Picard caused an uproar by travelling to Dubai for a conference on climate change while the Front commun was in negotiations with the government. She later admitted her mistake.
Earlier this year, the Journal de Montréal revealed that expenses for alcohol and restaurant meals had been approved by the senior management of FTQ-Construction, including $55-a-glass scotch, $30 Japanese whisky, $80 filet mignon and more.
The Labour Minister said he was “deeply shocked and outraged” by these revelations.
The Legault government has regularly criticized the Fédération autonome de l’enseignement (FAE) for challenging the State Secularism Act with workers’ dues.
“Workers deserve more transparency and democracy,” Boulet said Wednesday on social media.
“The government is stubbornly attacking workers’ rights rather than responding to the real concerns of Quebecers. (…) By targeting union members, the CAQ is masking its failures in managing the state and the economy and proving its disconnect from the needs of the population,” said CSN President Caroline Senneville in a press release on Thursday.
–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews
