Union Pluralism in Quebec Labour Law: What is the Balance between Effectiveness and Employee Participation?
On the sidelines of the dominant model, in which the majority union exercises a monopoly over collective labour relations, union pluralism has long existed in Quebec and requires an appropriate legislative and regulatory framework. The present article aims to identify the challenges of such a framework through a comparative study of three cases: 1- participation of certified unions in pay equity committees; 2- handling of complaints about maintenance of pay equity in enterprises where more than one certified union represents the employees; and 3- participation of unions in the negotiation of sectoral collective agreements in Quebec’s construction industry. By analyzing the solutions of lawmakers in the three cases, it is possible to find a tension between effectiveness and employee participation, as well as discuss the consequences of these solutions for workplace democracy.