Quebec Labour Minister Lise Theriault comments about legislation on union regulations in the construction industry Thursday, October 6, 2011 at the legislature in Quebec City.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jacques Boissinot
Wildcat strikes. Threats against a cabinet minister. Testimony about beatings on job sites.
After months of being buffeted by one crisis in Quebec's construction industry, Premier Jean Charest is now facing another – escalating feuds over how workers get assigned to job sites.
Just last week, Mr. Charest yielded to demands for a public inquiry into persistent allegations of corruption and collusion in the province's construction industry.
On Monday, however, Quebec's battle with the industry took a nasty turn over the Liberal government's attempts to table legislation that would limit the ability of unions to assign workers.
As construction workers staged illegal walkouts in several cities across the province, Quebec's Labour Minister revealed that an anonymous caller threatened to break her legs if she forged ahead with Bill 33.
But Lise Thérieault remained undeterred.
"I'm prepared to fight this all the way. The threats only add to my resolve to get this bill through the legislature," she said.
The bill would take away unions' power to determine which members get to work on major construction projects and hand it to the Commission de la construction du Québec (CCQ), a government body of labour and business representatives that oversees the industry.
It takes direct aim at unions affiliated with the Quebec Federation of Labour, as well as those that are part of the provincial council of internationally affiliated trade unions. The two labour organizations represent the majority of construction workers in the province and hold a virtual monopoly on recruitment of workers for major projects.
Mr. Charest was forced to call a public inquiry into the industry after a scathing report last month from the head of the government's anti-collusion squad, Jacques Duchesneau, said bid-rigging and corruption had become an integral part in the awarding of government road-building contracts. He also warned of mob infiltration in the construction business.
And, on a day that shed light on how explosive the subject of the construction industry has become in Quebec, Ms. Thérieault wasn't the only person talking of violence on Monday.
Sylvie Déraspe – who represents a small but growing number of women in the industry who are pushing the government to end bullying, especially against women – gave shocking testimony to economic and labour committee hearings on the legislation.
"This is a cry from the heart. We can't take the discrimination any longer. We can't take the intimidation any longer," she said.
She explained that a colleague who was going to testify with her was beaten up 10 days ago by a union official and was unable to appear.
"I won't say where on the North Shore it happened, but she got her ribs kicked in by a guy with iron-toe construction boots who didn't like what she was asking or what she was saying," Ms. Déraspe told the committee.
Ms. Déraspe said Gérard Cyr, the head of the trade-union council and a member of the CCQ, was told about the violent incident. But he denied hearing of it.
"I have no comment. All I can tell you is that I never heard of it," Mr. Cyr said.
Rhéal Séguin