More and more Quebec hotels prepare to strike

After more than a month of visibility actions, the impasse continues in the CSN's coordinated bargaining in the hotel industry. While the bosses are still refusing to address the union demands, workers have called surprise strikes in three hotels Sunday. Mobilization has now broadened, and three unions have 120-hour strike mandates. 

At the Comfort Inn Pointe Claire, where Rosemary Williams, president of the local union, works, negotiations are progressing at a snail's pace. Contacted by The North Star in early July, Williams explains that at the time, the two parties were still only at their first negotiation meeting. 

"Tomorrow will be our second time meeting with their negotiator. So we're going to get an answer about our demand. They're still slow in giving us extra bargaining days. He could be a tough guy, but our union is tougher. We're ready to negotiate. And as I said, if we have to walk out, we are ready to do that."

As with many hotels, workers at the Comfort Inn Pointe Claire had to make major concessions during the last round of negotiations because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The wage catch-up to be made is therefore significant.

"Due to COVID, you've seen what happened. We had to go back to the table after we decided on our increase in salary. We had to reduce everything. And with inflation now, we need to ask for something better. We also want improvements in group insurance."

The improvements requested to group insurance are twofold. Firstly, workers want the employer to contribute 65% of the costs. Secondly, they want to be able to choose their coverage to ensure that it suits their needs.

"Any decision that is made, we would like to be a part of it. For the vast majority, the employer's contribution should be 65%. We don't care if they like it or not, but I think it's a discussion that should be brought up, and this is something that we're going to fight for together. The whole insurance plan should be changed, and we want the employer to give us some more, meet us halfway."

The employers, for their part, are sticking to their guns and refusing to acknowledge the concessions made by the workers during the last round of negotiations. Yet their profits have risen sharply with inflation, and the 36% pay increase over four years demanded by the union is not beyond their reach.

"They're making the money, but the workers are not making much. Our workload has increased. We're in the summer days now. It's very busy. The hotel is fully booked every day. So I'm still sticking with it. I think we deserve as workers to have that 36% raise. No question asked. They can afford it."

As with the Queen Elizabeth Hotel, where the strike mandate received 95% support from workers, mobilization is very strong at the Comfort Inn Pointe Claire, and Williams is not ruling out the possibility of a strike to obtain their demands.

"I believe they're going to give us a hard time, but we're ready. We're not going to back down. We're thinking that with mobilization right now, our workers are very energetic. We've been doing a couple of pressure tactics at work for mobilization. We're more focused on getting what we asked for. We are concentrating on the platform demand and also our local demand. But if we have to go on strike, we just want them to know that we're ready."