Unions draw thousands to Montreal for International Workers’ Day

Thousands gathered at Jeanne-Mance Park in Montreal on Saturday before marching downtown. 

The march is for International Workers’ Day,  a global day of labour protest that was on Friday. It is not a statutory holiday in Canada.

Dozens of school buses lined Parc Ave., having brought demonstrators across Quebec, many carrying union flags and placards.

Organizers said those from union, student and community groups joined the march to denounce what they described as a steady erosion of labour rights, economic protections and the social safety net.

“We cannot let the government continue to trample on our rights,” said organizers in a statement. “We are gathering today to show them that we resist, and will resist for as long as necessary.” 

This year’s slogan is “Rights trampled, we must resist!” 

In particular, they pointed to recent provincial laws they say weaken collective bargaining, workplace protections and safety standards, alongside cuts to public services and growing inequality.

Editor’s Picks

• Weeks after unionizing, Ubisoft pulls the plug on Halifax studio
• Tens of thousands flood downtown Montreal as unions rally against Legault’s 'rightward shift’
• What’s behind Saturday’s big union mobilization against the Legault government in Montreal

The demonstration was backed by a broad coalition:

• the Alliance du personnel professionnel et technique de la santé et des services sociaux (APTS), 
• Centrale des syndicats démocratiques (CSD), 
• Confédération des syndicats nationaux (CSN), 
• Centrale des syndicats du Québec (CSQ), Fédération autonome de l’enseignement (FAE), 
• Fédération interprofessionnelle de la santé du Québec (FIQ), 
• Fédération des travailleurs et travailleuses du Québec (FTQ), 
• Syndicat de la fonction publique et parapublique du Québec (SFPQ), 
• Syndicat de professionnelles et professionnels du gouvernement du Québec (SPGQ), 
• Table régionale des organismes communautaires de Montréal (TRPOCB), 
• Alliance des intervenantes et intervenants communautaires francophones (AICF), 
• Union étudiante du Québec (UEQ), 
• Mouvement autonome et solidaire des sans-emploi (MASSE), 
• Front d’action populaire en réaménagement urbain (FRAPRU), 
• Mouvement d’éducation populaire et d’action communautaire du Québec (MÉPACQ), 
• Réseau québécois de l’action communautaire autonome (RQ-ACA)
• Fédération étudiante collégiale du Québec (FECQ)

The post Unions draw thousands to Montreal for International Workers’ Day appeared first on Montreal Gazette.