A coordinated negotiation of collective agreements begins in 30 hotels in the Montreal, Quebec, Estrie and Saguenay — Lac-Saint-Jean regions.
This negotiation concerns 3,500 workers, members of unions of the Fédération du Commerce, affiliated with the CSN.
This federation has had the practice for years of coordinating many of its negotiations in hotels, even if they involve different employers. The unions concerned thus adopt a common platform of demands and they consult each other as negotiations progress, even if they have different employers.
Most of these collective agreements will expire on June 30, in the Montreal region, and July 31, in the Quebec region.
The revendications
With the pandemic hitting the hospitality sector hard, then the recovery in tourism which has since accelerated, these workers now hope to take advantage of the recovery and catch up on wages.
Thus, they are demanding increases of 36% over four years, or 15% from 2024, then 7% for each of the following three years, detailed Michel Valiquette, treasurer and head of the tourism sector at the federation, in an interview.
To justify this claim, Mr. Valiquette highlights inflation and the price of hotel rooms which has increased by 67% since 2020.
These workers are also demanding improved access to vacations, i.e. three weeks from the first year and seven weeks after 30 years of seniority.
“There is a real problem with attracting and retaining staff in the industry. Working in the hotel industry means that you work on weekends, it means that you work in the evenings, on public holidays,” recalls Mr. Valiquette.
He therefore says he wants to improve working conditions to attract the next generation.
Union members are also demanding a 5% increase in the employer’s contribution to the group insurance plan. In the majority of cases, this contribution would increase from 60 to 65%.
And they want to eliminate the use of employment agencies. Other demands relate to training.
Laborious negotiation
In the past, these coordinated negotiations have resulted in strikes at some hotels, often during the peak tourist season. Some lasted several months.
“We know the evolution of each of the 30 negotiation tables. It doesn’t happen in a day. We know where there are breakthroughs, we know where there are advances and then at that point, we coordinate through all of that. And we keep our unions informed throughout the negotiation. Often, what will happen is that there will be a first regulation, then we will try to export it to a second place. After that, in fact, there is a domino effect which takes place and there, the other regulations fall,” illustrated Mr. Valiquette.
“We are ready to sit down and negotiate seriously, in good faith. But unfortunately, in order to be taken seriously by employers, we often have to use pressure tactics, possibly take strike votes, then possibly also go on strike. Otherwise, very often employers do not take us seriously,” concluded Mr. Valiquette.