Employees at another downtown Montreal hotel on strike on Saturday

Workers strike outside the Hotel Doubletree by Hilton in Montreal, Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024. Employees went on strike again on Aug. 17. (Graham Hughes, The Canadian Press)

Another surprise walkout was called Saturday morning at a Montreal hotel, this time by the 350 CSN union members at the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel in Montreal's Complexe Desjardins.

The employees are on strike for the day, from 5:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m., while around 100 workers at the Hôtel Faubourg Montréal ended their strike at 8 a.m. on Saturday morning, at the end of a 24-hour walkout, the Confédération des syndicats nationaux (CSN) said in a news release.

The 600 employees of the Fairmont Queen Elizabeth hotel, also in downtown Montreal, were also on strike on Friday.

They are demanding a 36 per cent pay rise over four years.

Their union points out that they have received increases totalling eight per cent over the last four years, well below inflation, which has exceeded this rate for the year 2022 alone.

"These surprise strikes, one after the other, demonstrate the determination of workers to be heard and respected," said Michel Valiquette, head of the hotel sector and treasurer of the Fédération du commerce (FC-CSN).

He added that "these renewed demonstrations of the mobilisation and solidarity of hotel workers send a clear message to employers: they must negotiate seriously."

The union members are also demanding three weeks' holiday from the first year of service to attract new workers, an employer contribution to the group insurance scheme and better training for the next generation.

"This movement of surprise strikes will not magically stop. It's set to get even bigger if employers don't put the pedal to the metal and show a willingness to negotiate. It's up to them,’ said Chantal Ide, Vice-President of the Conseil central du Montréal métropolitain (CCMM-CSN).

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Aug. 17, 2024.