In Canada, 521 croupiers at Casino Montreal have been on strike since May 21 as negotiations continue between their union, the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), and their employer, Loto-Québec.
Poker rooms remain closed, but the casino is still open, offering table games, slots, restaurants and shows. The impasse focuses on dealers’ request for a new daily schedule to reduce repetitive strain injuries.
Union officials said the previous collective agreement expired April 1, 2020 and has not been replaced. Meanwhile, they said Loto-Québec “has lost in profit the equivalent of what the croupiers are demanding at the bargaining table.”
CUPE consultant Jean-Pierre Proulx said, “The casino is a Crown corporation that brings a lot of money into the public coffers to pay for our health and education services. We want to continue to do our part to fill those coffers, but we can no longer do so at the expense of our health. At the moment, the dispute is about 15 minutes per day of break time that the employer does not want to pay for.”
CUPE leaders also accused Loto-Québec of wanting to pay new recruits at 90 percent of the lowest salary scale. Management said the entry-level salary already is more than 20 percent above market.
Loto-Québec management said dealers want 30 minutes of paid break per hour worked, but they are already entitled to two hours of paid break during an eight-hour shift. Officials said they are ”disappointed that the Montreal Casino dealers’ union is continuing to strike when all the elements necessary to reach an agreement were available, especially since the last two years have been difficult for casino employees.”
Loto-Québec officials said they hope to reach a “responsible negotiated agreement.” They pointed out they are offering “similar parameters to what has been agreed to by the same CUPE-affiliated employment bodies at other Loto-Québec casinos, including the Casino du Lac-Leamy dealers.”
