Croupiers strike at Montreal Casino, negotiations reach impasse
Workers are asking for higher wages and additional break periods.
Croupiers at the Montreal Casino in Quebec have initiated an unlimited general strike after its negotiations with the casino came to a standstill last week.
Canadian Union of Public Employees advisor Jean-Pierre Proulx said that workers want additional rest time to avoid workplace injuries, due to the nature of their repetitive jobs and the rapid pace they must keep.
Proulx commented: “It’s work that requires long hours of standing. Croupiers can distribute up to 10,000 cards in one day. The faster the game goes, the more money the casino makes.”
Workers are also concerned about works schedules and salaries and are striking to address those issues as well. The union claims the casino wants to reduce employee wages to what they were in 2017, which would cause new hires to start out at only 90% of the base salary.
This is not the first time that Croupiers have resorted to a strike to address ongoing concerns. They recently held two four-hour strikes earlier in the month when negotiations had stalled.
Loto-Quebec manages the casinos throughout the province and has expressed it is not pleased with the current strike situation.
The company issued an official statement saying the following: “The croupiers at the Montreal Casino are asking for 30 minutes of paid break for each hour worked. They would therefore spend more than 30 per cent of their shift on paid break, which is unusual in the industry and other casinos by the company.”
Proulx said that paid 30-minute breaks are not the issue and workers already get 15 minutes of break time for each hour they work.
Loto-Quebec said that casino operations will continue as normal, despite the poker lounge being closed. Gaming tables, restaurants, slot machines and shows will continue to remain open.
Tags/Keywords
Players trust our reporting due to our commitment to unbiased and professional evaluations of the iGaming sector. We track hundreds of platforms and industry updates daily to ensure our news feed and leaderboards reflect the most recent market shifts. With nearly two decades of experience within iGaming, our team provides a wealth of expert knowledge. This long-standing expertise enables us to deliver thorough, reliable news and guidance to our readers.
Latest News
