| In recent years, Quebec has severely been hit by massive waves of group terminations. After the textile and clothing industry, the forest industry is now facing the after-effects of a changing economy. The interviews obtained in spring 2008 with the Louisiana-Pacific workers in Saint-Michel-des-Saints, show that the provisions on group termination do not take appropriate measures for workers who are victims of such closing down industries. To evaluate the efficiency of group termination provisions, we have undertaken an empirical study on the operational improvement and downsizing process of a large paper company that have lead to the permanent closure of the treated lumber plant in Saint-Michel-des-Saints. Discussions with workers and local actors such as the union leaders and members of the community, other union and government leaders have helped us rebuild the steps leading to these group terminations and to the follow-up. It is only through mobilization called by the union (with a plant blockade) that gains were made in the small dismissal measures initially provided by the regulation. This mobilization, however, did not prevent other important negative effects such as impoverishment, feelings of exclusion and family tensions on workers who have had to live through this group termination of employment.;Keywords : Group terminations, Quebec Labour Standards Act, Efficiency of group termination provisions, Precarioussness, Social Exclusion. |
