| Full name | Confederation of National Trade Unions |
|---|---|
| Native name | Confédération des syndicats nationaux |
| Founded | 1921 |
| Members | 300,000[1] |
| Country | Canada |
| Affiliation | ITUC |
| Key people | Claudette Carbonneau, president Lise Poulin, secretary general |
| Office location | Montreal, Quebec |
| Website | www.csn.qc.ca |
The Confédération des syndicats nationaux (CSN) (Confederation of National Trade Unions), is the second largest trade union federation in Quebec by membership.
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It was founded in Hull in 1921 as the Confédération des travailleurs catholiques du Canada (Catholic Workers Confederation of Canada). It became the CSN only in 1960 when it became secular.
The CSN is characterized by decentralized administration: local unions are organized into federations by sector of activity and regional councils, and are very independent from the central organization. It is also the most politically active trade union in Quebec, having, for instance, officially advocated Quebec sovereignty since 1990.
The Confederation currently has about 300,000 members, distributed evenly between men and women, and between the private and public sectors.[1] Marc Laviolette was replaced as president in 2002 by Claudette Carbonneau. Louis Roy, Roger Valois, and Denise Boucher are the 1st, 2nd and 3rd vice-presidents, respectively. Lise Poulin is the secretary and Pierre Patry is the treasurer.
The Montreal Central Council of the CSN endorsed Québec solidaire for the 2007 Quebec Election.[2]