As many as 50,000 public-sector workers took to the streets of Montreal Saturday afternoon to support workers' contract demands.
The massive crowd waved flags, bangs drums and chanted "Solidarite!" and "Ole! Ole! Ole! Ole!" and moved through the downtown area to Ste. Catherine St. and Metcalfe where a speaker donning a giant mask of Premier Jean Charest egged the crowd on.
Eleven days from the end of their five-year contract, the unionized workers are calling on the Charest government for a salary increase of 11.25 per over three years, while the province is offering seven per cent over five years.
Other issues are also on the table.
"The government wants to take away some of the statutory holidays that we have now, they're talking about taking away the floating holidays, they're talking about decreasing our sick days," said protestor Tita Balanga, a nurse from CSSS Cavendish.
Workers also say they want salaries comparable to those of public sector workers in other parts of Canada.
Protesters came by the busload from all regions of the province, and organizers say the turnout was larger than expected.
"We have a lot of people here, and i think it's important for us to send a strong message," said CSN union president Claudette Carbonneau.
The last contracts were imposed by the government five years ago after failed negotiations.
