Croupiers plan to walk off the job at Montreal Casino for the second time in two days

Croupiers protest outside the Casino in Montreal, Saturday, May 14, 2022. The dealers went on a surprise four-hour strike late Saturday afternoon to show support for their bargaining committee. At the stroke of 4 p.m., croupiers stopped working and walked in front of the casino to denounce the deadlock in negotiations on their next collective agreement. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes

Croupiers at the Montreal Casino say they will walk off the job once again today following a surprise four-hour strike on Saturday.

Employees stopped working on Saturday afternoon to denounce stalled negotiations over the new collective agreement, which came to an impasse last weekend.

The strike is set to resume today from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The collective agreement that regulates the working conditions of 521 dealers expired on March 31, 2020, with salaries and schedules among the issues at stake.

Union representative Jean-Pierre Proulx said contract talks will resume on Tuesday with a mediator, adding he hopes this weekend's actions demonstrate the need to find a satisfactory deal.

Loto-Quebec, which manages the province's casinos, said clients will still be able to access gaming tables during the temporary strike except in the poker room.

-- This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 15, 2022.