Ernest François Michaud (5 December 1884 – 8 August 1939) was a
French
French may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France
** French people, a nation and ethnic group
** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices
Arts and media
* The French (band), ...
trade union leader.
Born in Breloux-la-Crèche, Michaud trained as a carpenter, then found work on the railways. In 1910, he joined the local railway workers' union, becoming its assistant secretary in 1911. In 1913, he moved to Paris, to work on the railways there, and in 1915, he became the secretary of the Parisian railway workers' union. In 1918, he became the administrator of the railway workers' orphanage.
In 1920, Michaud was sacked for taking part in a strike. He instead found work as the town hall secretary in Gassicourt. This led him to join the National Federation of Public Service Employees and Workers, and in 1925, he was elected as its full-time general secretary.
From 1927 until 1937, Michaud served on the National Economic Council. In 1932, he stood unsuccessfully for the
French Section of the Workers' International
The French Section of the Workers' International (, SFIO) was a major socialist political party in France which was founded in 1905 and succeeded in 1969 by the present Socialist Party.
The SFIO was founded in 1905 as the French representativ ...
in the 3rd district of the
11th arrondissement of Paris
The 11th arrondissement of Paris (''XIe arrondissement'') is one of the 20 Arrondissements of Paris, arrondissements of the capital city of France. In spoken French, the arrondissement is referred to as ''le onzième'' (; "the eleventh").
The ar ...
. In 1933, he became the general secretary of the
International Federation of Employees in Public Services
Public Services International (PSI) is the global union federation for workers in public services, including those who work in social services, health care, municipal services, central government and public utilities. , PSI has 700 affiliated t ...
, leading it through a successful merger with the International Federation of Civil Servants.
Michaud's union took part in a merger in 1936, which admitted many communists to the union. While Michaud retained his post, he opposed their influence, and contributed to the anti-communist ''Syndicats'' newspaper. He resigned from his trade union roles in 1937, becoming the secretary of a town hall in
Nice
Nice ( ; ) is a city in and the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes department in France. The Nice agglomeration extends far beyond the administrative city limits, with a population of nearly one million