{"id":2811,"date":"2023-06-19T16:17:48","date_gmt":"2023-06-19T20:17:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/regimeretraite.ca\/espace-michel-lizee-biographie\/"},"modified":"2026-01-22T05:50:26","modified_gmt":"2026-01-22T10:50:26","slug":"espace-michel-lizee-biography","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/regimeretraite.ca\/en\/espace-michel-lizee-biography\/","title":{"rendered":"Biography"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Michel Liz\u00e9e\u2019s Corner\nBiography\n<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Who Was Michel Liz\u00e9e?\n<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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After earning a BA in Mathematics from the Jesuit Coll\u00e8ge Sainte-Marie, Michel obtained a Bachelor\u2019s degree in Economics from the Universit\u00e9 du Qu\u00e9bec \u00e0 Montr\u00e9al (UQAM) in 1971.

Already politically active in the Front d\u2019Action Populaire (FRAP), a left-wing municipal party, Michel spent six months in Salvador Allende\u2019s Chile, living with a working-class family and working at Cootralaco, a cooperative factory. This trip reinforced his commitment to equity and justice for workers.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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After returning to Qu\u00e9bec, Michel was hired by the UQAM to explore opportunities for collaboration between the university, the FTQ and the CSN on training and research projects. The UQAM later adopted a community services policy and infrastructure and signed agreements with the FTQ and the CSN (later the CSQ), as well as with Relais-femmes. At the same time, the Minist\u00e8re de l\u2019\u00c9ducation created the Community Services Fund. This idea of using university resources to support groups that otherwise would not have access to them is one of Michel\u2019s major legacies and has inspired similar collaborations across Canada.

During his years at Community Services, Michel coordinated a wide variety of projects across a variety of fields. Over time, he developed training programs on pension plans, especially for unionized individuals involved in negotiating or managing their pension plans.

At the same time, Michel was active in the UQAM employees\u2019 union (SEUQAM), affiliated with the CUPE-FTQ, serving as its president from 1983 to 1988. He was an active participant in several union bodies, particularly the Conseil r\u00e9gional de Montr\u00e9al M\u00e9tropolitain. In 1979, he became the UQAM employees\u2019 representative at the R\u00e9gime de retraite de l\u2019Universit\u00e9 du Qu\u00e9bec (RRUQ). From 1993 to 2005, he was chair of the investment committee, which allowed him to develop extensive expertise in pension plan investment management.

In 1987, Michel earned a master\u2019s degree in political economy from Carleton University in Ottawa. His master\u2019s thesis, Canada\u2019s <\/strong>\u201cGreat Pension Debate\u201d: the Blossoming of a Dualist Pension System<\/strong>, articulated his understanding of the shortcomings of retirement policies in Canada. His strong ability to identify long-term issues fueled his vision of a comprehensive and equitable retirement system, notably as a member of expert committees for the R\u00e9gie des rentes, in union bodies, and in numerous briefs and political interventions. Michel was frequently invited on television or to conferences to comment on current events related to pension plans. He was also invited several times to provide training or lectures abroad, including in 2009 by the International Labour Office (ILO) for African trade unionists.

Beginning in 2004, Michel provided technical support to a coalition coordinated by Relais-femmes and the Centre de formation populaire. This led in 2008 to the creation of the R\u00e9gime de retraite \u00e0 financement salarial des groupes communautaires et de femmes. Today, after 15 years, the Plan includes more than 1,000 community groups, nearly 13,000 participants, and more than 350 retirees.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Credit: <\/strong>
Ruth Rose, Associate Retired Professor,
UQAM \u2014 Updated version of the biography published on March 15, 2021
Retirement Observatory
Website: observatoireretraite.ca<\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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