Sex workers plan strike during Grand Prix weekend
Montreal's Sex Work Autonomous Committee demands end to nightly club fees, employee status
Montreal sex workers are calling for a general strike on May 23 during one of the city's busiest tourist weekends—Canadian Grand Prix weekend—to demand workplace protections and fair labor practices.
The Sex Work Autonomous Committee has outlined two key demands: an end to the nightly fees that dancers must pay clubs to work, and reclassification from self-employed contractor status to employee status. The latter change would grant substantially more labor rights and protections under Quebec law.
By staging the action during Grand Prix weekend, organizers hope to maximize visibility and economic impact on venues that profit significantly from the influx of international visitors. The committee views the timing as strategic leverage to advance long-standing workplace justice issues.