There was a period, back in the 1960s and '70s, when Michel Chartrand's name seldom appeared in print in English without the prefix "fiery labour leader."
And the sobriquet was well earned. Chartrand, who died Monday at his home in Montreal at the age of 93, was without doubt the most radical and most colourful Canadian labour leader of his age and perhaps any age. His profanity-peppered rhetoric and earthy humour made such contemporary firebrands as Joe Davidson of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers appear almost demure by comparison.
In fact, Chartrand's fervour embarrassed some of his labour colleagues. His own leader, Marcel Pepin, for example, tried unsuccessfully to have Chartrand fired as head of the Confédération des syndicats nationaux's Montreal central council.
And indeed, Chartrand's impetuous sympathy for the underdog sometimes led him into murky territory. His ardent endorsement of the FLQ manifesto of 1970, for example, came perilously close to an endorsement of terrorism. And his comments on Jews - "We don't want them to pollute anymore the atmosphere of this country" - were odious.
Extremes aside, however, Chartrand's passion for socialism and justice was genuine and unwavering. He was engaged in most of the great Quebec causes of the 20th century, from the conscription crisis of 1939 through the asbestos strike of 1949 to the nationalist battles of the 1960s and '70s. His convictions landed him in jail at least twice and exacted great personal cost on him and his family. Such committment is a rare thing and worthy of admiration, even from those who don't share Chartrand's convictions.