Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Montreal Strippers Call May 23 Strike to Hit Canadian Grand Prix Weekend

Organizers seek employee status with the end of mandatory bar fees.

Overview

  • The Sex Work Autonomous Committee, which set the walkout for Saturday, May 23, plans to strike during F1 sprint and qualifying to maximize pressure.
  • Dancers demand recognition as employees, an end to bar fees, safer and cleaner workplaces, and non-discriminatory hiring and scheduling.
  • A bar fee is money dancers must pay the club to work, and SWAC says one venue charged $110 per dancer per night over five Grand Prix nights, totaling about $33,000.
  • Performers say clubs treat them like staff while labeling them contractors, enforcing schedules and dress rules without benefits or protections, and they report overbooking and little focus on safety.
  • The action targets a weekend that drew 352,000 fans in 2025, and outlets report no formal response yet from club owners or regulators, which heightens pressure as race week approaches.