Casino de Montreal dealers reach agreement in principle with employers

Montreal Casino dealers on strike Montreal Casino dealers are demonstrating in front of Loto-Québec headquarters in downtown Montreal in an attempt to improve work conditions.

The union representing Casino de Montreal dealers reached an agreement in principle with the employer Friday afternoon.

The 545 unionized croupiers at the Casino de Montreal, who have been without a collective agreement since April 1, 2020, went on strike on May 21.

The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), affiliated with the FTQ and the Société des casinos du Québec, declined to comment on the agreement's contents. The full agreement will be presented to members at a general meeting in the coming weeks.

"The union and management negotiating committees are satisfied with this agreement and are confident that it will also be to the satisfaction of the dealers," said CUPE union advisor Jean-Pierre Proulx in a statement.

Despite the strike, most activities at the casino, located on Notre-Dame Island, continued.

The dealers had asked for improvements to their daily schedule in order to reduce injuries related to repetitive work, but Loto-Québec said it did not observe an increase in injuries.

CUPE also criticized the employer for intending to pay new recruits 90 per cent of the lowest salary scale. Management indicated that the entry-level salary is more than 20 per cent above the reference market.

This report was first published in French by The Canadian Press on Aug. 12, 2022.