The Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions joins the Fédération interprofessionnelle de la santé du Québec and other unions in Quebec speaking out against Bill 3, An Act to improve the transparency, governance and democratic process of various associations in the workplace. We are concerned that the bill sets standard rules and risks the democratic decision making of union members on how they run their own organizations.
As nurses we are also very concerned that Bill 3 under the guise of ‘transparency’ threatens a union’s ability to defend the interests of their members and stand up for public health care, and it is aimed at silencing the voice of the labour movement in Quebec. The bill would limit a union’s ability to engage in advocacy, which it deems not directly related to the workplace. Unions have fought for decades for issues that under Bill 3 could be seen as going beyond a strict definition of working conditions. As trade unionists, we know we have a union to thank for health and safety standards, maternity and parental leaves, reproductive rights, minimum wage standards, pay equity, pensions, and the list goes on.
At a time when tariffs, affordability, access to quality health care are top concerns, we urge the Quebec government to recognize that this is not the time to attack workers and their unions.