Québec City, QC – For a second consecutive year and taking advantage of the international Workers ‘ Day, a group of more than 100 Québec Federation of Labour (QFL) activists, including 11 IAM members, met on Tuesday with members of the National Assembly of Quebec to raise awareness about Their concerns. Activists from all sectors of activity and members of affiliated unions had programmed exchanges with the parliamentarians of the National Assembly of all political allegiances.
“Getting in touch with the political class and discussing matters of importance for the future of the people of Quebec is an opportunity for parliamentarians to fully play their role as legislators to listen to its people, and for Activists to get to know their MPs better, says FTQ president Daniel Boyer.
Three subjects were on the agenda of the militants and activists involved with this lobby:
- For a public drug insurance plan: in Quebec, many people do not take their medicine for financial reasons. The cost of drugs is extremely high. With a fully public plan, Quebec would save $1 to 3 billion a year.
- For a green transition Quebec must raise the bar and move from a polluting economy to a green economy. This must also be done through a fair energy transition for workers and their communities.
- Finally for a reform of the voting mode: Quebec must adopt a proportional mixed voting method so that each vote counts.
“At a time when people are becoming more cynical about elected officials, it is all the more important for them to engage with their constituents in order to become aware of their concerns,” explained Serge Cadieux, Secretary-General of the QFL. “The goal is to make Quebec a society that is fair, more cohesive and more democratic, and you can’t do that without talking to our elected parliamentary officials,” said IAM Québec Coordinator David Chartrand. “Meetings were scheduled for 30 minutes and many of them went over their time limit, so overall I think we were rewarded for our efforts, the politicians listened.”
Marc Ranger CUPE, Mario Laframboise MP for CAQ, David Chartrand IAMAW, Nathalie Roy CAQ caucus President, Frédéric Labelle (IAMAW LL869), Djimy Theodore (PSAC)
Marc Gallant (IAMAW LL712), Claude Cousineau MP for PQ, Michel Richer (IAMAW), Fréderic Dugal (IAMAW LL1758), Benoit Bourassa (IAMAW LL712), Sylvain Pagé MP for PQ, Marc Boursier MP for PQ.
Marc Ranger (CUPE), David Chartrand (IAMAW), Fréderic Labelle (IAMAW LL869), Djimy Théodore (PSAC), Mario Laframboise MP for CAQ.
Guy Leclair MP for PQ, Eric Goudreau (IAMAW 712), Daniel Mallette (USWA), Pascale St Antoine (SEIU).
Marc Gallant (IAMAW LL712), Fréderic Dugal (IAMAW LL 1758), Sylvie D’Amours MP for CAQ, Michel Richer (IAMAW), Benoit Bourassa (IAMAW LL712)
Sylvain Rochon MP for PQ, Hrvoje Golek (IAMAW LL 869), Isabelle Bournival (USWA), Benjamin Sweeney (UFCW), Dave Turcotte MP for PQ.
Marc Ranger (CUPE) David Chartrand (IAMAW)
David Bordeleau (IAMAW LL1751), François Cardinal (USWA), Simon Jolicoeur Barrette (MP for CAQ), Luc Martel (SQEES), Marie Pier Leboeuf (USWA)
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