Quebec casinos: another strike called Friday as wage dispute continues

Workers at casinos in Montreal, Mont-Tremblant, Charlevoix and Gatineau, as well as Jeux en ligne, have voted to call an unlimited general strike starting Friday.

Riccardo Scopelleti, president of the Casino de Montréal-CSN security workers' unit, says the dispute is at an impasse.

The union is demanding wage increases equivalent to the rising cost of living, plus $1 per hour.

It argues that the Société des casinos and Loto-Québec are making healthy profits and that workers should benefit from this.

For its part, Loto-Québec claims to offer good working conditions and says casino wages are well above the reference market, at over 20 per cent for most job categories.

The state-owned company adds that the value of the union's current demands is more than double what has been granted to other employees over the past year.

These assertions are dismissed by Stéphanie Gratton, interim president of the Fédération des employées et employés CSN public sector.

The 1,700 employees unionized with the CSN recently went on strike for five days during the Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal. The walkout affected catering, security and maintenance services.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on June 23, 2023.