Dozens of unionized workers are picketing outside Saint John's Delta Hotel on Monday but so far the protest is having little impact on regular workweek business.

Picket lines went up at the Delta Brunswick Hotel and Brunswick Square on Saturday after talks between Fortis Properties and United Steelworkers Union Local 1-306 broke down.

Union workers picketed one of the city's busiest parking garages on Monday morning causing delays along Union Street, a main artery through the city.

Each driver had to wait a minute or two, before entering the Brunswick Square Parking garage.

Around the corner, people did not hesitate to walk around the pickets outside the Bell Aliant tower — 19 floors of office space for Bell Aliant, Irving Oil, Repsol, and several prominent law firms.

Ron Arsenault, a union member, said he'd rather be inside working than outside striking.

"I'd rather be doing maintenance for our tenants but I also want a fair wage package," Arsenault said.

"So I'd like to get our word out and hopefully the support of our tenants."

The approximately 100 workers are members of the United Steelworkers.

The union represents hotel housekeepers and kitchen staff, as well as maintenance workers in the Brunswick Square mall and parking lot attendants in the attached garage.

Among the issues at the centre of the strike, include union representation during meetings, as well as workload.

Gail Tucker, a Fortis official, said the company is determined to keep everything open, using managers to do the laundry, housekeeping, cooking and parking lot attendant jobs.

She said the hotel has been full and no reservations cancelled.

"We've been fully occupied the past couple of nights. And we have strong occupancy for the next few days," Tucker said.

Union members say the strike is in its early days and they believe tenants in the mall and guests at the hotel will feel the impact as the days go by.