The Montreal casino could be paralyzed during part of the Formula 1 Grand Prix of Canada which will take place in Montreal in a few weeks, because of a strike which affects several bodies of employees.
“It’s an event that brings together 132,000 customers on Île Notre-Dame for three days,” says Riccardo Scopelleti, president of the union of security guards at the Montreal casino, affiliated with the Confederation of National Trade Unions (CSN), and spokesperson for all units. “It’s the biggest event in Montreal that kicks off the summer period, we won’t let that pass. »
Some 1,000 employees of the casino affiliated with the CSN without a contract of employment agreed among themselves to strike at the same time, in the hope of increasing the pressure on their employer. This includes general unit service employees like cashiers, slot machine attendants, valet parking, coat check, and housekeeping. The catering department will also be on strike. They had voted themselves a bank of five days “to be used at the appropriate time”. Croupiers are not affected.
“The casino is big, it has three buildings. On a shift of 400 to 600 employees, there isn’t a pool of executives big enough to hold the fort, Scopelleti points out. It is certain that there will be very, very diminished services even if they make the effort. “To replace everyone on the shift, I say good luck to them,” he adds.
The workers have not yet determined whether they will strike for one, two or three days during the Canadian Grand Prix. “It will be decided with the mobilization committee”, specifies Riccardo Scopelleti.
Wage issues are at the heart of the dispute. “Wage demands motivate people to strike, like the consumer price index and evening and night bonuses,” he points out. We are way behind the rest of the industry. This scares away employees, who find better conditions elsewhere, he insists.
The casino is large, it consists of three buildings. On a shift of 400 to 600 employees, there isn’t a pool of executives big enough to hold the fort.
The four casinos on strike?
The employees have been in negotiations since last June and without a contract since March 31, 2022.
“It drags. We do not have a thousand questions on the monetary question, but four points. It’s been dragging its feet since February,” said Riccardo Scopelleti, who is spokesperson for all nine unions currently negotiating in the province’s four casinos and for Online Games, which represents nearly 1,700 different job categories.
The other casinos in the province could also be affected by a strike. Employees of the Casino du Lac-Leamy have set up a bank of five days. Those of the casinos of Charlevoix and Mont-Tremblant will also decide in the coming days.