Casino workers in Quebec launch strike on eve of Grand Prix weekend

Casino workers in Quebec have launched a strike at four casinos and the Crown corporation's online gambling site, on the eve of Grand Prix weekend in Montreal. 

The union representing casino workers in Quebec, the CSN, says 1,700 employees have walked off the job at the Montreal, Gatineau, Mont-Tremblant and Charlevoix casinos as well as on Espacejeux. 

The workers are asking for higher wages to reflect the rising cost of living. 

Loto-Québec says its already made what it calls two "generous" offers to the union over the last few months. However, according to the CSN those offers haven't changed since the end of February. 

The president of security workers at the Montreal Casino, Riccardo Scopelleti, says negotiations have been going on for a year.

"We're sending the message, we want to return to the table, we want to negotiate," he said. 

In a statement, the CSN outlines how Loto-Québec's latest annual report details its "best year ever" and that its executive vice-president, Kevin G. Taylor, saw his yearly salary go from $375,461 to $504,498 — a 34 per cent increase. It says it is outraged by Loto-Québec's refusal to review other salaries despite its high profits. 

"They've had record profits for 17 years, it's deplorable," said Scopelleti.

Earlier this month, the CSN had approved a five-day strike mandate which it said was to be used "at the right moment."

Scopelleti says that moment is now. 

In a statement, Loto-Québec said it's disappointed the CSN launched the strike instead of continuing negotiations. It says discussions around the normative and monetary components of the collective agreement were concluded in December. 

According to Loto-Québec, the value of CSN's demands are more than double what was granted to all the other employees of the organization in the last year.

The CSN is asking for a wage increase equivalent to the rising cost of living plus one dollar per hour. Scopelleti says that working conditions were affected by the pandemic and are still difficult.

"We've lived through three closures during COVID.... We're working short-staffed, there are departments that are still closed," said Scopelleti. 

The casinos in question will remain open through the Grand Prix weekend, said Loto-Québec in a statement, though some services might be limited. The online site will be available but its call centre will be off-line.

The Mont-Tremblant Casino was forced to close temporarily due to the strike but has since reopened. 

The Trois-Rivières and Quebec City gaming halls will not be affected by the labour dispute.