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Another surprise strike was called Saturday morning at a Montreal hotel, this time by the 350 CSN unionized workers at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Montreal’s Complexe Desjardins.
The employees went on strike for the day, from 5:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m., while about 100 workers at Hôtel Faubourg Montréal ended their strike at 8 a.m. Saturday morning at the end of a 24-hour walkout, the Confédération des syndicats nationaux (CSN) said in a news release.
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The 600 employees of the Fairmont Queen Elizabeth hotel, also located in downtown Montreal, were also on strike on Friday.
The workers’ demands include a 36-per-cent pay hike over four years. Their union points out they have had increases totalling only 8 per cent over the past four years, well below inflation, which exceeded that rate for 2022 alone.
“These surprise strikes, one after the other, demonstrate the determination of workers to be heard and respected,” said Michel Valiquette, head of the hotel sector and treasurer of the Fédération du commerce (FC-CSN).
Valiquette added the strikes “send a clear message to employers: they must negotiate seriously.”
The union members are also calling for three weeks’ vacation in the first year of service, to attract new workers, an employer contribution to the group insurance plan, and better training for the next generation.
“This movement of surprise strikes will not magically stop,” added Chantal Ide, vice-president of the Conseil central du Montréal métropolitain (CCMM-CSN). “It’s set to get even bigger if employers don’t put the pedal to the metal in terms of their willingness to negotiate.”
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