Employees at another downtown Montreal hotel walk out on Saturday

Another surprise walkout was called Saturday morning at a Montreal hotel, this time by the 350 CSN union members at the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel, located in the Desjardins complex

The employees were on strike for the day, from 5:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m., while about a hundred workers at the 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 press release.

The 600 employees at downtown’s Fairmont Queen Elizabeth hotel were also on strike Friday.

The workers are demanding a 36 per cent wage increase over four years. Their union claims they have had increases totalling eight per cent over the past four years, well below inflation, which exceeded this rate in 2022 alone.

“These surprise strikes that follow one after the other demonstrate the determination of workers to make themselves heard and respected,” said Michel Valiquette, head of the hotel sector and treasurer of the Fédération du commerce (FC-CSN).

He adds that “these renewed demonstrations of the mobilization and solidarity of hotel employees send a clear message to employers: they must negotiate seriously.”

Union members are also demanding three weeks of vacation from the first year of service, to attract new workers, an employer contribution to the group insurance plan, and better supervision of training for new workers.

“This movement of surprise strikes will not magically stop. It is set to grow even more if employers do not put the pedal to the metal in their willingness to negotiate. It is up to them,” said Chantal Ide, vice-president of the Conseil central du Montréal métropolitain (CCMM-CSN).

–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews