At the Quebec City Convention Center, over 1,500 participants from major unions like the CSD, CSN, and FTQ, along with advocacy groups such as UTTAM and IWC-CTI, gathered for a historic summit on occupational health and safety. Over two days, they discussed the challenges workers face, particularly after legislative changes like Bill 89, which overhauled Quebec’s occupational health and safety system.
Sessions focused on critical issues such as safe return-to-work policies, the rise in workplace injury litigation, and the neglect of protections for women in female-dominated environments. The Immigrant Workers’ Center also highlighted the struggles of non-unionized workers lacking collective bargaining safeguards.
The defining moment was the protest outside the National Assembly against Bill 89, which curtails the right to strike. Despite expert warnings about its threat to social stability, the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) government pushed forward, backed by employers, while unions demanded its withdrawal.
The summit closed with a joint declaration: “No Safety Without Justice.” The labor movement will not retreat in defending the rights of those who build Quebec with their hands. This summit was not just a discussion—it was a step toward broader collective action.
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