The union leaders, Gerard Picard and Jean Marchand.
The miners of the Johns-Manville Company were members of the National Federation of Mining Industry Employees, affiliated with the CCCL. The latter was at that time headed by Gerard Picard, at right, as president, and Jean Marchand, at left, as secretary-general. Their arrival at the head of the CCCL in 1946 signaled a considerable change in the union's orientation. Both were educated in the social sciences, and they dedicated their energies and expertise to defending the workers' social and occupational interests. Jean Marchand played an immediate role in the Asbestos conflict. He was present at the February 13 meeting that triggered the strike. He was accused, perhaps unjustly, of stirring up emotions and lacking moderation on that occasion. The strikers refused his request for a forty-eight hour delay in order to meet with the labour minister, shouting "We want to strike."
Courtesy: Documentation Centre, Le Soleil Canada Wide Feature Services Inc.
