Women's Work and the Place of Women in Quebec's Unions (1940s and 1950s)
Contexte
Despite wartime gains in wages and working conditions, once the war ended, the rising cost of living, the sexual division of labour, and wage inequalities particularly affected female workers.
Madeleine Parent’s keen awareness of pay inequities led her to call for equal pay for equal work. Later, in line with the position of the International Labour Organization, she demanded equal pay for work of equal value, in other words, pay equity.
Madeleine’s career reflected the changing status of women in unions. She was the first woman to sit on the executive committee of the Montréal Trades and Labour Council, and she went on to co-found the Confederation of Canadian Unions.
