The Beginning of a New Era - A Real Civil Service (December 23)

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• Introduction
  • Beginnings
  • The Long Reign of the Union nationale
  • Henceforth
  • A Precursor of the Quiet Revolution
• Education
  • Brother Anonymous
  • The Creation of the Ministry of Education
  • The Parent Report
  • CEGEPs and the Université du Québec
  • Greater Access of Women to Education
• The New Role of the State
  • The Advent of the Welfare State
  • Election of the First Woman to the Legislative Assembly
  • The Tiger Team
  • Return to Power of the Union nationale
  • A Real Civil Service
• Reclaiming the Economy
  • The Nationalization of Electricity
  • The Société générale de financement
  • The Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec and the Régie des rentes
• The Affirmation of Quebec
  • The Sovereignty Movement
  • Vive le Quebec libre
  • Relations between Quebec and Ottawa
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  • The Front de Liberation du Quebec
  • Bill 63
• Culture
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  • Les belles-soeurs (The Sisters-in-law)
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• Social Realities
  • The Formation of Leftist Movements
  • The Decline of Religion
  • Expo 67
  • Demanding Unionism
• Women's Revolution
  • The Advent of the Pill
  • The Feminist Affirmation
  • The Femmes d'aujourd'hui Show
  • Women Storm the Labour Market
  • The Bird Commission
• Epilogue

Home > Events > The New Role of the State > A Real Civil Service (December 23)

Opening of the office of the Syndicat des fonctionnaires provinciaux du Québec, Lasarre section in 1967. The photo features presidents Jacques Bastien and Roger Boisclair, Marcel Hamel, secretary, and Fernand Lapierre, education officer

In 1964, representatives from the Syndicat des fonctionnaires provinciaux du Québec meet with Quebec Premier Jean Lesage to discuss voting procedures to determine the choice of an organization to represent them. To the left of Lesage is Jean Marchand, President of the Confédération des syndicats nationaux (CSN)

A Real Civil Service

It should come as no surprise that the civil service in Quebec, which groups together all employees of government machinery, experienced unprecedented growth during the Quiet Revolution, as a result of state intervention in education, health and social affairs, and the creation of new ministries, advisory councils, regulatory bodies and public corporations. Under the long reign of the Union nationale, the number of civil servants increased regularly, from some 16 000 in 1944 to 29 000 in 1960, an average increase of 1 000 civil servants per year. At the start of the 1970s, they numbered more than 50 000.

Number of Quebec Government Civil Servants, 1944-1970

The Quebec civil service quickly developed expertise in several fields. Before the Quiet Revolution, it included a goodly cohort of lawyers and engineers, but few specialists in economics, statistics and sociology. After 1960, the civil service developed employee performance evaluation systems and administrative structures and its members could become unionized as of 1964. During the era of Maurice Duplessis, the civil service was subject to arbitrary decisions and patronage. Employees of the state had no rights, no job security and their wages were low. Furthermore, they were forbidden to join a trade union.

Related events

• The Long Reign of the Union nationale
• The Advent of the Welfare State

Related characters

• Maurice Duplessis

Related years

• 1964