Press release
Passage of Bill 89 

A turning point with serious consequences for Quebec 

Quebec City, May 29, 2025 – Bill 89, officially passed today, will have serious and far-reaching consequences for Quebec’s entire workforce. “The Premier and his Labour Minister clearly fail to grasp the extent of the damage this new legislation will inflict. This is a dark day for working people,” stated spokespersons Robert Comeau (APTS), Luc Vachon (CSD), Caroline Senneville (CSN), Éric Gingras (CSQ), Mélanie Hubert (FAE), Julie Bouchard (FIQ), Magali Picard (QFL), Christian Daigle (SFPQ), and Guillaume Bouvrette (SPGQ). 

Impacts beyond unionized workers 

Union leaders are adamant: the repercussions of this bill will go far beyond unionized workplaces. “We’ve said it before: gains made through collective bargaining create positive pressure across all sectors, including non-unionized environments, by pushing employers to improve conditions to remain competitive. By limiting workers’ ability to organize and improve their working conditions, the government is targeting all of Quebec’s labour force,” the spokespersons warn. 

A threat to labour peace 

The existing framework for strikes has helped maintain a fragile but vital balance between workers and employers. “We fail to understand why Minister Jean Boulet is so intent on disrupting that balance unless it’s to hand over even more power to employers and cater to an anti-union cabinet,” said union leaders. “Even under the current limits, the right to strike gave workers a way to improve their conditions within a well-defined legal framework. Now, the Minister is using flimsy justifications to trample on that right, threatening the very fabric of labour peace.” 

They add: “We believe the strike restrictions in this bill will not stand up to constitutional scrutiny. The Canadian and Quebec charters, as well as the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour ruling, are clear: union rights are human rights.” 

Progress born from struggle 

For decades, major social advances have come about thanks to union struggles — gains that benefit all of society: pay equity, the network of public childcare centres, the minimum wage, and parental leave, to name just a few. “It was through strikes and pressure tactics that millions of Quebecers secured these rights. Stripping workers of their ability to fight back is halting progress for our whole society,” insist the union spokespersons. 

The bond of trust is broken 

Ever since Minister Boulet first floated this proposal in late 2024, unions urged caution. “We quickly saw he was not interested in genuine dialogue or in finding balanced solutions,” the spokespersons note. “What’s more baffling is the Minister’s complete change in tone — from openness to a unilateral shutdown of talks with Quebec’s labour movement. The bond of trust is broken,” they conclude. 

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Translated into English by SEU 800 from the original French-language press release issued by the QFL.