Aimé Auguste Tessier, known as Gaston Tessier (15 June 1887 – 8 August 1960) was a French trade unionist and Resistance member. Born in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

, Tessier attended a Christian Brothers' school. In 1905, he joined the Trade and Industry Employees' Union (SECI), a union of Catholic workers, his membership sponsored by

Jules Zirnheld Henri Jules Zirnheld (9 November 1876 – 18 December 1940) was a French trade union leader. Born in the Alsace, Zirnheld studied at the Christian Brothers' school in Saint-Thomas-d'Aquin, Paris, then became an accountant. He was enthusiast ...

and Charles Viennet. He became prominent in the union's Study Group, which conducted research into labour-related matters from a Catholic perspective, and he wrote regularly for ''L'Employé'', the union's journal. In 1908, he was appointed as assistant general secretary of the union, then in 1912, he became general secretary of a new union of Christian workers in the Paris region. As leader of the union, Tessier took a prominent role in founding the French Federation of Catholic Employees' Unions, in 1913, and he was soon also appointed as its general secretary. Due to poor health, he remained in his union posts during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, supplementing his income by opening a bookshop. In 1919, the

French Confederation of Christian Workers The French Confederation of Christian Workers (french: italic=no, Confédération française des travailleurs chrétiens; CFTC) is one of the five major French confederation of trade unions, belonging to the social Christian tradition. It was ...

(CFTC) was established, and Tessier was appointed as its general secretary. He also became active internationally, serving as the founding general secretary of the International Federation of Christian Employees' Trade Unions from 1921. He worked with

to gain the blessing of the Vatican for their union activities, and refute accusations that they were Marxists, later being made a knight of the

Order of St Gregory the Great The Pontifical Equestrian Order of St. Gregory the Great ( la, Ordo Sancti Gregorii Magni; it, Ordine di San Gregorio Magno) was established on 1 September 1831, by Pope Gregory XVI, seven months after his election as Pope. The order is one of ...

. In 1936, he was also made a knight of the

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon, ...

. The CFTC was banned in 1939, along with other trade unions, Tessier was one of three CFTC signatories to the Manifesto of the Twelve, opposing this. He was a founder of Liberation-Nord, wrote for underground newspapers, and from 1943 served on the

National Resistance Council The National Council of the Resistance (also, National Resistance Council; in French: ''Conseil National de la Résistance'' (CNR), was the body that directed and coordinated the different movements of the French Resistance: the press, trade unio ...

, then on the

Provisional Consultative Assembly The Provisional Consultative Assembly (french: Assemblée consultative provisoire) was a governmental organ of Free France that operated under the aegis of the French Committee of National Liberation (CFLN) and that represented the resist ...

. Immediately after the

liberation of France The liberation of France in the Second World War was accomplished through diplomacy, politics and the combined military efforts of the Allied Powers of World War II, Allied Powers, Free French forces in London and Africa, as well as the French R ...

, he chaired the Ministerial Commission for Food Supply. The CFTC was re-established, and Tessier returned to his post as general secretary, then in 1948, he moved to become its president. In this role, he promoted Christian trade unionism internationally, and strongly opposed the growing support in the CFTC for secularisation. In 1953, he feared that this might lead to him losing re-election as the federation's president, so he stood down, becoming honorary president, and also president of the

International Federation of Christian Trade Unions The World Confederation of Labour (WCL) was an international labour organization founded in 1920 and based in Europe. Totalitarian governments of the 1930s repressed the federation and imprisoned many of its leaders, limiting operations until the ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tessier, Gaston 1887 births 1960 deaths French Resistance members Trade unionists from Paris