Montreal strippers have threatened to strike during the 2026 F1 Canadian Grand Prix weekend as they push for full employment rights, with the action timed deliberately to coincide with one of the busiest periods of the year for the city’s strip clubs. The Sex Work Autonomous Committee (SWAC) has organized the protest, scheduling it for Saturday May 23.
The strippers’ protest has gathered a lot of attention ahead of the Canadian GP this weekend, and that is part of the what the strike is meant to achieve. SWAC is attempting to not only raise awareness of their issues but also try and hurt the pockets of club owners during what is traditionally their busiest weekend.
The core issue is that strippers in Montreal are classified as independent contractors rather than full employees, meaning they do not receive the same labor rights and protections. The issue comes from the fact that unlike other independent contractors, the dancers are actually dependent on club management for good working conditions, which they are apparently not receiving.
The SWAC’s principal demand is the abolition of the “bar fee”, a charge strippers must pay simply to perform at a club. They are also calling for safer working conditions and an end to discrimination in hiring and scheduling.
The timing is what has made this issue reach global news, and that is no coincidence. The Canadian GP weekend is the most lucrative period of the year for Montreal’s strip clubs according to SWAC, as reported by Reuters.
Hence, the committe has claimed that they want to threaten the income clubs receive during this period. The timing also helps raise more awareness for the issue at hand.
Montreal strippers also marching through the city during the F1 Canadian GP weekend
SWAC has also organized a march through downtown Montreal during the F1 Canadian GP weekend. According to CBC, the strippers are set to march through the city on Saturday, May 23, which is also Sprint and Qualifying day for the Grand Prix.
During this march through the city, the participating members will also be handing out pamphlets and flyers to different venues and people around the city that underline their struggles and demands. The strike also extends to erotic massage parlour workers in the city, with SWAC having spent years building towards this collective action.
Ultimately, the committe and the workers are looking at an end goal of unionizing themselves with all kinds of sex workers as they work towards the aim of decriminalizing all sex work.
It is worth noting that F1 and the Canadian GP are not involved in the dispute in any way. How and if the strikes and the march through the city affect the race weekend remains to be seen.
Edited by Samyak Sharma
