Unions, community groups rally in Montreal against Quebec government policies

MONTREAL — Quebec’s major labour unions marched in downtown Montreal Saturday, their members expressing anger over the Quebec government’s legislative agenda which includes a number of measures aimed at the labour movement.

Tens of thousands of Quebecers armed with noisemakers and signs marched from Place du Canada to Premier François Legault’s Montreal offices marching against what the unions described as an assault on workers’ rights, collective bargaining and heavy cuts to public services.

Magali Picard, president of the Quebec Federation of Labour, said the plan was to send a strong message.

“We want the government to understand that the middle class, workers, community groups, the people, need a government that listens and works with them,” she told reporters ahead of the march.

“We have to put aside bills like the (proposed Quebec) constitution, the law regarding doctors, and Bill 3, which is a direct attack on workers’ freedom of expression and association.”

The unions believe that the Legault-led Coalition Avenir Québec government is embarking on a shift to the right of the political spectrum, which jeopardizes the Quebec that generations have built together.

The event, dubbed “Dans la rue pour le Québec” or “in the streets for Quebec,” was to show a united front against the government. The rally involves nine major unions across the province as well as five umbrella groups representing some 4,500 community organizations.

The unions criticize the government for increasing cuts to public services and underfunding social programs.

The unions are also speaking out against measures taken by the provincial government to restrict the scope and rights of unions, accusing the government of taking a “divide and conquer” strategy in an effort to distract citizens from its own political difficulties.

“We must not govern based on polls, we must govern for the people and according to their needs,” Picard said.

On Sunday, Bill 3 comes into effect, giving the government broad powers to end strikes and to ensure mandatory minimum service in the event of a strike or lockout.

Labour Minister Joel Boulet, in an open letter published in the Journal de Montreal, defended the law as being in the best interest of the population, not anti-union.

He noted most labour disputes don’t have an impact on the public, but points to certain examples that did, such as the one at Notre-Dame-des-Neiges cemetery in Montreal, prolonged strikes in the education sector and, most recently, the Montreal transit strike that created havoc for people who rely on public transit.

“Some cases have revealed deeply problematic situations where citizens have been held hostage,” Boulet wrote. “It is precisely the nature and impact of these conflicts on the public that compels us to act.”

Boulet has also tabled Bill 3, which proposes dividing union dues into mandatory and optional ones. Under the proposed law, any activities deemed to be outside of a union’s primary mission wouldn’t be eligible for financing through mandatory fees, but through optional fees only.

Optional dues would also have to be approved through a majority vote before they could be collected.

The union leaders called on those who are opposed to cuts to services and government interference in unions to speak out.

“This is a government that’s at rock bottom in the polls, and they haven’t been able to think of anything better to boost their popularity than attacking unions and public servants,” said Guillaume Bouvrette, president of the Syndicat de professionnelles et professionnels du gouvernement du Québec, which represents public service professionals.

“The citizens of Quebec aren’t fooled.”

Some participants travelled hours to get to Montreal, coming from across the province by chartered bus. Union members from neighbouring Ontario and New Brunswick also attended in support of their Quebec counterparts.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 29, 2025.

— with files from Sidhartha Banerjee in Montreal.

Samira Ait Kaci Ali, The Canadian Press