As thousands of Formula One fans descend on Montreal this weekend, dozens of sex workers launched strike action during what they describe as one of the industry’s most lucrative periods of the year.
Holding hand-drawn signs with messages like ‘No tax on ass,’ and ‘F— your bar fee,’ workers from strip clubs, massage parlours and other sectors of Montreal’s sex industry gathered at La Place de Paix in downtown in a demonstration organized by the Autonomous Committee for Sex Work, known as CATS. Many of the protesters attended wearing masks and a small handful donned keffiyehs.
Montreal strippers and other workers of the city’s sex industry are gathering downtown as they launch strike action today during one of – if not the – busiest time of the year: #CanadianGP weekend. pic.twitter.com/xkmckDjRrk
— Harry North (@hsnorth_) May 23, 2026
The protest aims to denounce what organizers describe as abusive working conditions in the industry and push for the full decriminalization of sex work, labour protections and safer workplaces, according to Melina May, who said she was an independent escort and a member of CATS.
The decision to strike over the Canadian Grand Prix weekend, which also coincides this year with a galvanizing playoff run by the Montreal Canadiens, was taken to maximize attention and economic pressure on clubs, May said. Last year, a record 352,000 people attended the race weekend.
The strike action does not include all sex workers in the city, but May said they hope it will encourage many to partake and “hurt the pockets of the bosses.”
In Montreal, many sex workers are classified as independent contractors rather than employees. Workers are often paid primarily through tips and lap dances and can be required to pay clubs “bar fees” to perform.
A supporter of sex workers attends a strike protest downtown during the F1 weekend in Montreal. Evan Buhler / Montreal Gazette
One Montreal stripper, who is a member of CATS, told The Gazette last week dancers can earn as little as $40 to $100 a night in guaranteed pay, with some workers occasionally paying more in club fees than they earn in tips and dances.
“Since we’re not salaried employees, we don’t have access to the protections that other workers usually have,” she said.
In a statement announcing the strike, organizers demanded the abolition of bar fees, employee status for sex workers and “safe working conditions like in any other jobs.”
Organizers say workers from multiple sectors of the sex industry are expected to participate, though it remains unclear how many clubs or businesses could be affected by the strike.
With files from The Gazette’s Jack Wilson
Do you have a story tip? Write to me at hnorth@postmedia.com
