1,200 screening officers to demonstrate at Trudeau airport Friday: what travellers need to know

About 1,200 security screening officers and checkpoint supervisors will hold a demonstration near Montréal-Trudeau International Airport on Friday, October 30, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. – and airlines, including Air Canada, are telling travellers to arrive earlier than usual.

Per an Air Canada passenger advisory, screening employees scheduled to work are expected to remain on duty, so flights are expected to operate – but the demonstration may increase traffic around the airport and could affect security screening times. The airline recommends building in extra time for congestion and longer lines. The demonstration lands on a busy Friday at YUL, where construction has already been snarling traffic this year.

The dispute behind it

The demonstration is the latest step in a stalled round of bargaining: United Steelworkers Local 9554, which represents the 1,200 workers, says nearly three-quarters of members rejected an offer from their employer, Garda – the security contractor that staffs pre-board screening at the airport. The workers have been without a collective agreement since April 2025 and have not had a wage increase since March 2024, according to the union.

And Friday may not be the end of it: a strike is possible once the Canada Industrial Relations Board determines what essential-services levels must be maintained at the airport, the union says. That process will decide how many screening officers would stay on the job if the dispute escalates to a full walkout.

Travellers flying out of YUL on Friday should check their airline’s advisories before leaving for the airport.

Sources: an Air Canada passenger advisory (October 29) and CityNews Montreal, citing the United Steelworkers Local 9554 press release.