Louis Laberge

Founding President of the Solidarity Fund QFL

Born in Sainte-Martine on February 18, 1924, Louis Laberge was president of the Québec Federation of Labour (QFL) from 1964 to 1991. He was also founding president of the Solidarity Fund QFL and served in this capacity on its board of directors since 1983.

Mr. Laberge was the provincial vice-president of the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) and a member of its Bylaws and Structures Review Board. As well, he was a member of the Conseil consultatif du travail et de la main-d’œuvre, the board of directors of Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, and the administrative committee and board of the Commission de la santé et de la sécurité du travail du Québec.

An aeronautical mechanic by trade, Mr. Laberge joined the labour movement in 1944 while working at Canadair (Saint-Laurent), whose workers were represented by the International Association of Machinists (IAM-QFL).

In 1961, he became the international representative of his union, a position he held until 1964, at which time he was named director of the Organizing Department of the Québec branch of the International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW) (CAW CANADA since 1986).

Mr. Laberge’s labour activities always extended beyond his own union. In 1949, he became a member of the executive committee of the Conseil des métiers et du travail de Montréal (today the Conseil régional FTQ du Montréal métropolitain). In 1951 he became the Conseil’s corresponding secretary and in 1955 assumed the presidency, holding the title until 1964.

Mr. Laberge was also vice-president of the QFL from 1962 to 1964, and before that, regional vice-president from 1958 to 1960.

He was married to Lucille Chaput and had three children.

Louis Laberge passed away in July 2002.