Workers at three Montreal hotels staged a surprise strike on Saturday: the Queen Elizabeth Hotel, the Marriott Château Champlain and the Hyatt Place Montreal.
This is the third consecutive day of strike action for employees at the Queen Elizabeth.
The Fédération du commerce, a union affiliated to the CSN, has said that 600 employees are on strike at the Queen Elizabeth, 350 at the Marriott and around 100 at the Hyatt.
This surprise strike comes shortly after a one-day strike at 23 Quebec hotels on Thursday.
Michel Valiquette, head of the hotel sector and treasurer of the Fédération du commerce, argued that the employer was trying to gain time and drag out negotiations.
“If that’s the boss’s strategy, to drag out negotiations in order to erode solidarity, then today, once again, we’re showing that that’s not what’s going to happen. This solidarity will continue to grow,” he said in an interview.
Queen Elizabeth employees also held a surprise strike on Friday. Valiquette said at the time that the union was taking advantage of the summer period, the high season, to get its message across.
Among other things, the workers are demanding a 36 per cent pay rise over four years. Their union points out that they have had increases totalling eight per cent over the last four years, well below the rate of inflation, which has exceeded this rate for the year 2022 alone.
They are also calling for three weeks’ holiday from the first year of service to attract new labour, an employer contribution to the group insurance scheme and better supervision of training for the next generation.
The Association hôtelière du Grand Montréal reacted to the surprise strike by email: “Hoteliers are ready to negotiate tirelessly to find an agreement that benefits all parties. Strikes take hostage not only employees, but also the many visitors passing through the city. It is therefore vital that we work together to maintain the city’s image as a welcoming and hospitable destination,”
With negotiations involving 30 hotel unions in the Capitale-Nationale, Estrie, Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean and Greater Montreal regions, Valiquette said that hoteliers can expect further surprise strikes in the coming days. Among them, 23 hotels have strike mandates.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Aug. 10, 2024.