LAVAL, Que. – Nearly 450 Syndicat des Métallos (United Steelworkers) activists from across Quebec are in Laval this week for their union’s 55th annual conference, under the theme The Best for Our World.
A key issue to be tackled by conference delegates will be the pressing need to improve health and safety protections in Quebec workplaces, in the context of pending legislative reforms expected to be introduced by the provincial government in December.
The Steelworkers activists also will address challenges and opportunities in the fight against climate change, as well as the impact that labour shortages are having on working conditions.
The Syndicat des Métallos/United Steelworkers District 5 conference will be held at the Hôtel Sheraton Laval, from Wednesday, Nov. 20 to Friday, Nov. 22. The Steelworkers Quebec Director Alain Croteau will be available for interviews at the end of each day and on Friday at noon at the end of the conference.
Conference schedule:
Wednesday, November 20:
2:30 p.m., opening address by Steelworkers Quebec Director Alain Croteau.
3:45 p.m., address by Daniel Boyer, President of the Fédération des travailleurs et travailleuses du Québec(FTQ).
Thursday, November 21:
9:30 a.m., Health and Safety: Prevention for All! Roundtable discussion with representatives from several workplaces. Presentation on workplace health and safety prevention by Geneviève Baril-Gingras, Professor at Université Laval.
11:40 a.m., address by Ken Neumann, United Steelworkers National Director for Canada
2:00 p.m., Environment: The Best for Our World. Presentations by Pierre-Olivier Pineau, professor at HEC Montréal, and Patrick Rondeau, FTQ Just Transition initiative.
Friday, November 22
10:00 a.m., Labour Shortages: What if Conditions Were Better? Presentation Julia Posca, researcher at the Institute for Research and Socio-economic Information (IRIS)
12:00 noon, Conference closing, press briefing by Steelworkers Quebec Director Alain Croteau.
The United Steelworkers, affiliated with the FTQ, is the largest private sector union in Quebec, representing more than 60,000 workers in all economic sectors.
Clairandrée Cauchy, 514-774-4001, ccauchy@metallos.ca
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