MONTREAL - Housekeepers are back making beds, receptionists handing out key cards and bellhops hauling suitcases at the Loews Hotel Vogue in Montreal after 110 workers locked out since April 5 returned to work Friday.
The workers had been aiming for a 7.5 percent raise over five years but will receive wage increases only in the third year of their new contract, allowing the hotel to save cash to pour into upgrading its facilities.
A dozen workers will lose their jobs but will receive compensation to facilitate their departure.
The agreement, which rearranges many elements of the collective contract, was approved Tuesday by 70 percent of the employees.
According to management, the five-star hotel is currently undergoing a period of change, including a complete reorganization of its restaurant services along with major renovations.
The hotel is shooting to complete major renovations in time for the 375th anniversary of Montreal in 2017, which will likely bring a large number of tourists to the city.
“Workers’ morale is good, there are always some who will be dissatisfied, that's normal. They would have liked to have received more, but democracy has spoken,” said Teamsters Canada representative Stephane Lacroix, who represents the workers.
The Vogue sits on de la Montagne above Ste. Catherine across from the now-defunct Hotel de la Montagne, which will soon be demolished and turned into a construction site for some time.
-With a file from The Canadian Press
