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Montreal, July 28, 2026 — The Anti-Racism Program of the CJPME Foundation (ARPCF) issued a new policy brief today examining the recently adopted Bill 3 in Quebec, a law that imposes sweeping bureaucratic restrictions on the ability of labour unions to engage in social, political, and human rights advocacy. The brief details how the controversial legislation constrains unions’ capacity to support global justice, fund advocacy for minority rights, and mobilize resources for important social causes, including in defence of Palestinian human rights. ARPCF is deeply concerned that Bill 3 exemplifies a structural effort by the Quebec government to silence dissent and limit the democratic participation of civil society.

“Our analysis shows that Bill 3 fundamentally narrows what activities are considered legitimate under union budgets, classifying international human rights advocacy and solidarity initiatives as ‘optional’ and subjecting them to complex bureaucratic approval,” said Jamila Ewais, lead researcher of the ARPCF. “The consequence is that labour unions will be constrained from speaking out on critical human rights issues, and will be less able to take legal action against discriminatory legislation.”

The brief illustrates the consequences of Bill 3 through two case studies. First, it examines how the law could undermine major union-backed legal challenges to discriminatory legislation, including the Fédération autonome de l’enseignement’s constitutional challenge to Bill 21 before the Supreme Court of Canada. That case, which involves an estimated $2.4 million in legal costs, demonstrates how Bill 3 could force unions to navigate burdensome “optional dues” procedures before funding urgent litigation against laws that restrict civil liberties and disproportionately harm minority communities.

Second, the brief examines how Bill 3 could restrict unions’ ability to engage in Palestine solidarity and global human rights advocacy, particularly in response to Israel’s genocide in Gaza. By classifying international solidarity work, public education, and support for grassroots human rights organizations as “non-core” or “optional,” the law gives bureaucratic force to political narratives that portray support for Palestinian rights as illegitimate, divisive, or outside the proper role of civil society. ARPCF argues that this dynamic is consistent with anti-Palestinian racism, including the structural silencing, exclusion, and defamation of Palestinian voices and their allies under the guise of neutral governance.

ARPCF calls on the Government of Quebec to immediately repeal Bill 3, restore full funding and operational freedom to unions to engage in advocacy for global human rights, and adopt clear legal protections against anti-Palestinian discrimination in civil society. The brief urges policymakers, union leaders, and civil society organizations across Canada to recognize the broader implications of this legislation: when governments restrict the institutional voice of organized citizens, they jeopardize both local democracy and the capacity to act in solidarity with global human rights struggles. Civil liberties, equitable representation, and the protection of marginalized communities must remain central to Canadian democracy.

About the ARPCF – The mandate of the Anti-Racism Program of the CJPME Foundation (ARPCF) is to create public awareness about racism in Canada.  This mandate falls in line with the Foundation’s broader purpose of monitoring and combating manifestations of racism, xenophobia, and discrimination by increasing public awareness of such biases.

For more information, please contact Jamila Ewais, 514-389-8668
ARPCF, [email protected]  www.cjpmefoundation.org

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