On the morning of May 1, a group of Montreal city workers and labour activists blocked the entrance to a CN Rail terminal in the industrial quarter of Ville Saint-Laurent.
Around 9 a.m., about 30 blue-collar city workers converged at the terminal with labour activists from Workers’ Alliance and students from the nearby Cégep de Saint-Laurent. For nearly an hour, they prevented trucks from entering and leaving.
The action is part of a larger campaign of pressure tactics by the city workers, who are represented by CUPE local 301. Local 301 has been without a contract since the end of December 2024, and union members say the City is stalling in negotiations.
The North Star spoke to Simon Biard, a delegate from Local 301, who explained the reasoning for Friday’s action.
“Ultimately, it was aimed directly at the flow of capital. If all that’s being offered to us from the other side of the spectrum is the impoverishment of our members—the workers—then we have to respond with tactics that target the bosses’ agenda head-on: namely, their cash.”
The presence of students from the Cégep de Saint-Laurent was welcomed by the workers. Biard was heartened by their presence, though not surprised:
“Partnerships like this just go without saying. Last time—maybe three weeks ago—we went to lend a hand to the CEGEP students, and then to our comrades from Workers’ Alliance on the picket line at Saint-Laurent. So this is another great show of solidarity.
Biard says the timing of the action on International Workers’ Day was no coincidence.
“We felt it was important to remind people that this day is a day of resistance. It’s not a day of celebration, as it’s too often mistakenly called; it’s a day of struggle.”
Given the rise of militarization and the state’s escalating offensive on workers, Biard called on the labour movement to take a more combative stance:
“We need to reassert a goal that I believe is achievable in the coming years: to reclaim the social strike, the political strike. Maybe with slightly more modest goals, like May 1st. We missed an incredible opportunity this year. The labour unions missed a golden opportunity […] just to organize a damn one-day social strike on May 1st, at a time when workers’ and immigrants’ rights are under attack like never before in the last 50 years. What a blatant lack of courage!”
Be part of the conversation!
Only subscribers can comment. Subscribe to The North Star to join the conversation under our articles with our journalists and fellow community members. If you’re already subscribed, log in.