Montreal May Day march draws attention to cost of living crisis, gains made in public sector strikes
Nearly 1,000 people gathered in Saint-Michel Wednesday to mark the International Workers' Day, also known as May Day.
The large crowd converged on François-Perrault Park during the afternoon as workers delivered speeches and held banners that said "united to make our voices heard."
Workers were celebrating some of the gains public sector workers gained this year in their negotiations with the government. But they say there's a lot more work to do to address some key issues facing workers, such as climate change and the housing crisis — issues that are not necessarily related to working conditions, but affect them directly. The rising cost of living was also a concern shared by many of them, saying their wages are not keeping up with inflation.
Workers march for the International Workers' Day in Montreal on Wednesday, May 1, 2024. (Matt Gilmour/CTV News)
Minimum wage in Quebec went up Wednesday by 50 cents to $15.75 an hour. But workers told CTV News that that's not good enough for people living in precarious situations.
They said it was important for them to come out and show their solidarity.
"The common front shows us that [being united] can bring some very good advancements in our collective agreement but the fight continues for some of our colleagues. And also there's many other issues in society that needs to be addressed," said Ariane Beauchemin-Pépin, the provincial APTS representative at Centre universitaire de santé mcgill (CUSM).
"What we see on the field — all the organizations, the unions — the cost of [living] is more and more expensive every month and it's kind of hard not to live paycheque by paycheque," said Vincent Chevarie, who's responsible for political affairs and communications at Au bas de l'échelle (ABE), an education and advocacy group that supports non-unionized workers throughout Quebec.
The group was slated to march down Jean-Talon Street toward the Jean-Talon hospital.
Pepper spray deployed in separate May Day protest
A few hours later, a separate group led a march through downtown Montreal, prompting a heavy police response.
A shattered window of a Scotiabank on Sainte-Catherine Street after an anti-capitalist demonstration in downtown Montreal on Wednesday, May 1, 2024. (CTV News)
Police said the "anti-capitalist demonstration" started near Phillips Square around 7:30 p.m. They set off several smoke bombs and threw traffic cones, garbage cans, signs and other objects into the street to obstruct the police officers who were following them.
Around 8 p.m., the group "committed acts of mischief on businesses" and "armed assault" on some police officers., prompting them to start dispersing the crowd and deploying pepper spray on the protesters.
As of 9 p.m., the police's dispersal operation had ended. One person was arrested, said police spokesperson Manuel Couture, adding that at least two buildings had their windows smashed.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Some structural damage' from wildfire near Fort Nelson, B.C., mayor confirms
More than one home has been damaged or lost due to a massive wildfire outside of the B.C. community of Fort Nelson, the mayor confirmed Wednesday.
'Very expensive lunch': Sask. driver says he got a cellphone ticket for using his points app in the drive-thru
A warning from a Saskatoon driver about using your fast-food app while in the drive-thru line — a trip to get some free lunch cost him a lot more than he bargained for.
B.C. YouTuber ordered to pay $350K for 'relentless' online defamation campaign
An 'unrepentant' YouTuber has been ordered to pay $350,000 in damages as compensation for a 'relentless' campaign of defamation waged online against a business owner and his company, the B.C. Supreme Court has ruled.
Chief says grave search at B.C. residential school brings things 'full circle'
Chief Robert Michell says relief isn't the right word to describe his reaction as the search begins for unmarked graves at the site of a former residential school he attended in northern British Columbia.
'Endless Shrimp' just one misstep for Red Lobster as it eyes bankruptcy protection
While it's unclear what these closures might mean for the 27 restaurants in Canada, Red Lobster is expected to file for bankruptcy protection in the U.S. this month.
B.C. man shot sex worker in the back during drug-fuelled birthday, court hears
A man from B.C.'s Lower Mainland has been sentenced to four years behind bars after shooting a sex worker in the back during a drug-fuelled 43rd birthday.
'Inhumane conditions': 68 dogs pulled from Winnipeg home
Nearly six dozen dogs were seized from a home Wednesday morning by the Winnipeg Humane Society. It is the largest known seizure of animals in the city’s history.
Ontario's 'Crypto King' Aiden Pleterski arrested
Of the $40-million Aiden Pleterski was handed over two years, documents show he invested just over one per cent and instead spent $15.9 million on "his personal lifestyle." The 25-year-old Oshawa, Ont. man was arrested and charged with fraud and money laundering on Tuesday.
Driver said he smoked pot oil, took medication before Florida crash that killed 8 Mexican workers
A man with a long record of dangerous driving told investigators he smoked marijuana oil and took prescription drugs hours before he sideswiped a bus, killing eight Mexican farmworkers and injuring dozens more, according to an arrest report unsealed Wednesday.