I have been working at the CSN for more than 25 years. One of the disputes that affected me the most was the one involving the Cargill grain elevator on the North Shore, in Quebec. People were locked out for 38 months, during which time they saw workers take their place. It's extremely hard to go through something like that. I witnessed it.
I did not want to mention the asbestos strike, because it seemed too far back in time, but since other people have touched on historical facts, I will talk about it. In 1949, scabs were used in the town of Asbestos, and it is true that this had an impact on the community for generations. When I met with union members in the 1980s, some people told me that they no longer spoke to members of a certain family because their father had been a strikebreaker. This type of situation definitely creates bad blood throughout the community.
I'm also thinking of the violence that erupts on picket lines when workers have to physically prevent other workers from entering the workplace. In the example given by Ms. Chabot, it is all the more galling when strikebreakers are paid much more than workers.
My mother went on strike in the public service of Canada to get what is now called maternity leave. No one at this table would question maternity leave today.
Yes, strikes are hard, both for businesses and for workers, but sometimes they also help us move forward as a society.