Hotel workers picket, rally as strike deadline comes and goes

Hundreds of hotel workers took to the streets Friday, to protest against stalled negotiations at 23 hotels across Quebec.

Dressed in sombreros and colourful ponchos and accompanied by amariachi band, they dubbed their demonstration a fiesta.

However, the party atmosphere belied the fact that their union, the FdrationducommerceCSN, has been given a three-day strike mandate.

• Quebec City, Sherbrooke hotel workers vote in favour of strike

The union reached a last-minute deal with Montreal's Ritz-Carlton, which will see workers get a 13 per cent pay increase over four years. A similar deal was reached earlier in the week withtheMarriott Chteau Champlain.

Along with salary, the CSN says its main demands are better holidayand severance pay. The demands are justified, union negotiatorssay, because of the recent increase in tourism in Quebec.

Employees at 5 Montreal hotels plan strike

"It's not just summer 2016 that was exceptional, there has been growth in the hotel industry for several years," union spokespersonMichel Valiquette told Radio-Canada.

"We're in a period of growth. And the principal drivers of this growth are the workers. So they deserve their fair share in terms of salary and work conditions."

Michel Par, presidentof the union at Bonaventure Hotel, saidworkers' main demands include job protection, better vacation pay and salaries.
He agrees withValiquette thatworkers' demands are justified given how busy hotels are.

"I'm working at the front desk, and we see it. We see families from Europe, they're there three days and they spend $1,200 on the room. Thisis great. It's great for us," he said.

Gina Dor has worked at the Quality Suites in Pointe Claire for 23 years.She says the money is the biggest issue for her.

"I'm a single mother and I'm more thinking about the salary aspect of itand the financial part of it, because I need every penny that Iearn. Soif we can go for the max, that would be a good thing."

Here is a list of the affected hotels:

Montreal

• HteldesGouverneurs Place Dupuis
• Htel Clarendon
• Queen Elizabeth Hotel
• Quality Suites de Pointe-Claire
• Quality Inn Centre-ville
• Htel Bonaventure
• Htel Lord Berri
• Htel Ruby Foo's
• Holiday Inn Select Sinomonde
• Comfort Inn Pointe-Claire
• Comfort Inn Dorval
• Les Suites Faubourg St Laurent

Laval

• Holiday Inn Laval
• Hilton Laval

Quebec City

• Htel Quality
• Hilton Hotel
• Delta Hotel
• Pur Hotel Quebec
• Htel Classique
• Manoir Du Lac Delage(Stoneham)

Eastern Townships

• Htellerie Jardins de Ville
• HtelDelta Sherbrooke
• EstrimontSuites et Spa