Montreal police take to the streets to protest three-year wait for new contract

MONTREAL – Several thousand police officers held a march in Montreal during the city’s 375 birth celebrations on Wednesday to draw attention to the fact they’ve been without a contract for three years.

Wearing red armbands and baseball caps and camouflage pants, the officers gathered in front of their union’s offices before heading to city hall and the Old Port district where a large crowd had gathered to watch a new lighting system on the Jacques Cartier bridge switched on.

Most members of the public gave the march curious looks, but there was also a smattering of applause and some boos.

Police had been wearing camouflage pants for the past three years to protest the lack of a contract and imposed changes to their pension plans.

Quebec Public Safety Minister Martin Coiteux tabled a bill in late April to force police officers to wear their proper uniforms.