Union cites lack of progress at bargaining table as 2 hotels launch surprise 36-hour strike
Thousands of hotel workers in Montreal, Quebec City and Sherbrooke, Que., could go on a 24-hour strike next week, according to their union.
“Hospitality workers will hold a national day of strike on August 8 to force employers to improve working conditions and wages,” it said (translated by Google), citing a “lack of progress at the bargaining table.”
In recent weeks, more than 90% of workers voted in favor of a 120-hour strike mandate to be exercised at the appropriate time, said the Confédération des syndicats nationaux (CSN).
Previously, a Vancouver hotel was caught illegally using replacement employees during a workers strike.
Union demands for hotel workers
More than 400 hotel workers in Quebec began a 36-hour strike action on Thursday at the Gouverneur Place Dupuis Hotel and the DoubleTree Hotel, owned by Artifact Group.
This is the fourth walkout to occur in the 11th round of negotiations with the hotel industry, noted the CSN.
“If hoteliers want to prevent the strike movement from spreading… there is still a long way to go to meet the needs of hospitality workers. It is time for them to loosen the purse strings to recognize the efforts of those who allow them to make so much profit,” said Michel Valiquette, head of the hotel sector and treasurer of the Fédération du commerce (FC–CSN).
The seven common demands of coordinated negotiation are:
- Salary increases of 36% over four years to compensate for the loss of purchasing power linked to inflation.
- Increased employer contribution to the group insurance plan.
- Training for the next generation and better support trainers.
- Review of access and remuneration for annual vacations to attract the next generation and recognize the experience of existing staff.
- Eliminating the use of employment agencies.
- Reducing work overload to better protect staff.
- Ensuring that employees decide among themselves how to share tips.
"Hoteliers congratulate each other on the record profits they are currently making. They are on every platform to say how good summer is for them. But all of a sudden, they no longer have a cent when they show up at the negotiating tables,” said Michel Valiquette, head of the hotel sector and treasurer of the Fédération du commerce - Confederation of National Trade Unions (FC–CSN).
“As long as they do not understand that they must share the profits with the workers, the strike movement will continue to grow.”
The CSN is composed of more than 1,600 unions and represents nearly 330,000 workers in eight federations and 13 regional central councils, mainly in Quebec.
There had also been strike issues at the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO), Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) in the past few months.