On November 15, the Immigrant Workers Centre held its National Workers Council Assembly, gathering workers and organizers from Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean, Bas-Saint-Laurent, Outaouais, Montréal, and Québec City for a full day of discussion, coordination, and collective planning.
From the outset, migrant workers, women leaders, community organizers, and workplace committees spent long hours examining how the global economic crisis continues to shape migration patterns, and how recent anti-migrant policies in Canada deepen precarity and inequality. Participants drew direct links between national legislation and the everyday struggles in their regions—among them the expansion of temporary labour programs, the erosion of basic protections, and the growing criminalization of undocumented people.
The assembly opened with a political session titled Neoliberalism, Migration, and Bill C-2. Community Organizer, Mostafa Henaway, presented how Bill C-2 threatens to harden borders, expand surveillance, and further restrict pathways to permanent residence. Workers shared first-hand experiences of exploitation tied to closed work permits, subcontracting, and the increasing influence of temp agencies.
Committees from warehouse workers, recruitment and placement agencies, the Women’s Committee, and organizing teams in Québec City, Gatineau, Rimouski and Chicoutimi exchanged campaign updates, creating a space where regional strategies converged and where participants highlighted victories, challenges, and lessons learned.
At noon, participants joined the Month of Action mobilization outside 7075 rue Saint-Hubert. The rally called for regularization, permanent status, and an end to the scapegoating of migrants. The afternoon was dedicated to developing collective strategies for the coming years. Breakout groups met to identify priorities for 2025 and 2026 and to draft regional plans aimed at strengthening organizing and expanding worker leadership. Each group delivered report-backs that will inform a province-wide action plan.
The day ended with an evening celebration of music, food, and solidarity. Participants honoured twenty-five years of struggle led by migrant and immigrant workers and reaffirmed their commitment to growing this movement in every region of Québec.
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