—ON THE PICKET LINE—

Maggie Trowe, Editor

 

Montreal demonstrators: ‘Raise minimum wage to $15 an hour’

MONTREAL — Several thousand people marched here Oct. 15 demanding the provincial minimum wage be raised to 15 Canadian dollars ($11.26) an hour from its present level of CA$10.75. Quebec’s union federations — including the Quebec Federation of Labor (FTQ), the Council of National Trade Unions (CSN), and the Quebec Council of Unions (CSQ) — supported the action and had contingents. The value of the Canadian dollar has fallen from $1 to 75 cents since October 2013.

Leading the march were workers from the Old Port Workers Union — Local 10333 of the Public Service Alliance of Canada — on strike since May 27. On Oct. 5 the unionists narrowly rejected a contract offer recommended by their negotiating committee. “Nearly half the Old Port workers earn less than CA$15 an hour,” union representative Jacques Fontaine told the Militant. He said workers in Canada were inspired by the gains of the fight for $15 in the U.S.

Student organizations and other groups joined the demonstration. Many carried placards for the “5-10-15” campaign promoted by the CSQ that demanded bosses give workers five days advance notice on schedules, 10 paid days for sickness or family responsibilities, as well as CA$15 an hour minimum wage.

“I heard about this demonstration this morning on the radio and decided to come,” a teacher told the Militant. Passersby also joined the march.

Bosses organizations are publicly campaigning against the CA$15 minimum wage. The Canadian Federation of Independent Enterprises and the Quebec Employers Council argue that the increase undermines the profitability of their members and could lead to higher unemployment.

— Beverly Bernardo