I took a tally of the major disputes in Quebec over the past five years. Five per cent of CSN members are federally regulated. Of the 10 longest disputes, two were under federal jurisdiction. That figure alone indicates an imbalance.
I fully agree with what M. Roy said about violence in disputes. Some disputes were well known for that: Robbin Hood, United Aircraft, Firestone.
If asked, the police forces of the big cities could confirm that it is extremely rare these days for the riots squad to be called out to the picket line, although it was common place before the anti-replacement worker legislation was enacted. In terms of quality, the legislation has turned things around.
Disputes are quite painful at the time, but they also unfortunately leave major scars. It takes a very long time to restore some semblance of proper labour relations. A difficult and agonizing dispute brings out the strongest emotions in people.
It is felt that using strike breakers steals jobs and destroys any bargaining power or attempt to force management to focus on the legitimacy of any given demand and on the search for practical solutions.