Magali Picard
Magali Picard is a Québécois union leader and the president of the Fédération des travailleurs et travailleuses du Québec (FTQ).
Magali Picard is a Québécois union leader and the president of the Fédération des travailleurs et travailleuses du Québec (FTQ). She is the first woman and first Indigenous person to hold that office. She has also held senior roles in the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) and the Fonds de solidarité FTQ.
Early life and background
Available sources indicate Picard is a member of the Wendat Nation and was born in 1970, though the year is reported in secondary sources rather than official biographical material. Public sources in this set do not provide detailed information on her early life or education.
Union career
Picard began union activism in 1999 with the Union of Veterans’ Affairs Employees and later rose through PSAC leadership, including service as regional and national executive vice-president. She also held roles with the FTQ and its solidarity fund before becoming FTQ president.
FTQ presidency
She was elected president of the FTQ in January 2023 and later re-elected for a second term at the FTQ’s 34th convention. Multiple union organizations highlighted her election as historic because she is the first woman and first Indigenous person to lead the federation.
Advocacy and public roles
Sources describe Picard as an advocate for Indigenous rights, women’s rights, and workers’ social justice. She also sits on several labour-related bodies, including the CLC executive, the ITUC general council, the CCTM, and the CNESST board.
Key facts
- Elected president of the FTQ at its 33rd convention in January 2023.
- First woman and first Indigenous person to lead the FTQ, according to union sources.
- Began union activism in 1999 with the Union of Veterans’ Affairs Employees (UVAE), a PSAC affiliate.
- Previously served as National Executive Vice-President of the Public Service Alliance of Canada.
- Union sources identify her as a proud member of the Wendat Nation and an advocate for Indigenous and women’s rights.
Picard is a prominent figure in Canadian labour politics, especially in Quebec, and her leadership connects to national labour organizations such as the Canadian Labour Congress and PSAC.[1][3][10]
Frequently asked questions
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References
- Unifor Canadian Council 2024 — https://cc2024en.unifor.org/magali_picard_ftq_presidentSupports: Elected FTQ president in January 2023; prior FTQ and PSAC roles; Wendat identity; advocacy; current labour-board positions.
- Canadian Labour Congress — https://canadianlabour.ca/canadas-unions-congratulate-magali-picard-on-historic-ftq-presidential-win/Supports: Historic election as first woman and Indigenous person to lead the FTQ; prior PSAC role.
- Public Service Alliance of Canada — https://psacunion.ca/national-executive-vice-president-resignsSupports: PSAC leadership history, resignation, and earlier regional/national roles.
- CityNews Montreal — https://montreal.citynews.ca/2023/01/27/magali-picard-named-president-of-ftq/Supports: FTQ presidency and historic first woman/Indigenous person claim.
- International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers — https://iamaw.ca/first-woman-and-first-indigenous-person-to-lead-quebec-federation-of-labour/Supports: First woman and first Indigenous person to lead the FTQ; Wendat Nation identification.
- FTQ — https://ftq.qc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/FTQ-Note-biographique-Magali-Picard.pdfSupports: Official biographical note with career chronology, affiliations, and board memberships.