Six Flags Montreal park violated anti-scab provisions, court rules

People onboard a rollercoaster at La Ronde in Montreal. (LA PRESSE CANADIENNE/Graham Hughes)

Six Flags Montreal Park violated the anti-scab provisions of the province’s labour code by using audiovisual stage managers to perform the duties of locked-out workers.

As such, the Administrative Labour Tribunal ruled in favour of the local chapter of the Alliance internationale des employés de scène de théâtre (AIEST), which sought a permanent order requiring the employer to comply with the provision.

The employer had acknowledged that the duties temporarily assigned to supervisors normally fell under the purview of stage technicians.

However, it argued that the supervisors were managers hired prior to the negotiation phase, which would not violate the provision prohibiting the use of replacement workers during a strike or lockout.

The Tribunal was tasked with determining whether the audiovisual stage managers were employees or managers.

After analyzing their duties and hearing the evidence, the Tribunal ruled that the workers were considered employees.

“The authority they exercise is not hierarchical in nature, but professional. The attributes arising from this authority are not sufficient to deprive them of employee status. Consequently, their replacement is prohibited,” the Tribunal concluded.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on May 19, 2026.