The construction wing of one of Quebec's largest unions fired back Monday against allegations of collusion, fraud and intimidation in its ranks.
The influential wing of the Quebec Federation of Labour has sent out legal notices to three French media outlets following weeks of news reports and the looming arrest of their onetime president, Jocelyn Dupuis.
Police last week issued an arrest warrant for Dupuis after $125,000 worth of fraudulent expense claims were submitted under his watch. The union fired Dupuis when the allegations came to light 18 months ago.
Denials
News of the warrant against Dupuis comes as his former union faces allegations of intimidation and discrimination on Quebec's North Shore.
An investigative report by Radio-Canada documented dozens of instances of thuggish behaviour by a union representative and has prompted Quebec to call on police to investigate the allegations.
CBC's French service has reported that a climate of intimidation and violence exists on worksites controlled by the Quebec Federation of Labour.
But at a sometimes combative news conference on Monday, officials said the problems are being exaggerated.
"There might be some mistakes somewhere on the road, because we're representing somewhere around 70,000 employees," said FTQ lawyer Robert Laurin.
"I'm not saying that everything is fine and perfect everywhere, but there's so, so many things said that aren't true."
Inquiry
A recent poll indicated that three out of four Quebecers want a public inquiry into the construction industry, which has faced so many corruption allegations that Quebec formed a special police squad to examine the matter.
The union said Monday that inquiries are useless and that the police should be allowed to do their work.
The provincial Liberal government has repeatedly dismissed calls for a public inquiry.
PQ pushes for investigation, slams Liberals
Meantime the Parti Quebecois has launched a full-scale attack on the Liberals, blasting the party for its refusal to begin a public inquiry into the construction industry.
"Further than an inquiry into construction, we need an inquiry into the Liberal party," said PQ leader Pauline Marois at a PQ conference in Levis over the weekend.
Marois attacked the $75,000 a year Charest receives from his party in addition to the $183,000 premier's salary from taxpayers' wallets.
"Do you work for the Quebec people who pay your premier's salary or for friends of the Liberal party who pay your other salary?" she asked.
Charest responded by saying it was unfortunate Marois had resorted to personal attacks, calling it her "personal choice to use methods that dishonour Quebec's political class."
