(Montreal) Croupiers at the Casino de Montreal went on an indefinite general strike on Saturday morning.
Posted at 11:43 a.m.
Updated at 12:48 p.m.
Believing to be at an impasse in the negotiations for the renewal of their collective agreement, the croupiers began their strike at 9 a.m. and will set up a picket line in front of the casino at 2 p.m.
Despite the strike, the activities of the casino continue, specifies the management of Loto-Québec. Gaming tables, restaurant, slot machines and shows are running as normal, while the poker lounge is closed.
The croupiers are asking in particular for “better accommodation of working time and rest time to avoid injuries”, explains Jean-Pierre Proulx, union representative for the Canadian Union of Public Employees, in a press release.
He estimates that the number of employees who suffer work-related injuries is “dizzying”.
In a press release, Loto-Québec says it offers safe and optimal working conditions to its employees. “However, the croupiers of the Casino de Montréal require 30 minutes of paid break for each hour worked. They would therefore spend more than 30% of their work shift on paid break, which is unusual in the industry and the other casinos of the Company”, specifies the management.
Salary conditions are also at the heart of the negotiations, while the union affiliated with the Federation of Workers of Quebec (FTQ) accuses the employer of wanting to reduce the remuneration of croupiers to the level that prevailed in 2017.
“Loto-Québec wants to create a new salary scale that would ensure that the next employees hired would earn 90% of the base salary provided for in the collective agreement. […] In a context of labor shortage, this is downright irresponsible and the union will never accept it,” insists Mr. Proulx.
Management indicates that the entry salary is more than 20% above the reference market.
Loto-Québec says it wants to reach a “responsible negotiated agreement”, recalling that the negotiations are taking place according to “parameters similar to what was accepted by the same employment groups affiliated with CUPE in the other Loto-Québec casinos, including the croupiers of the Casino du Lac-Leamy”.
The 521 unionized croupiers at the Casino de Montréal have been without a collective agreement since 1er April 2020.