Montreal Hotel Workers Win Through Democracy
Submitted on Wed, 11/02/2005 - 5:32am
By Friends of NEFAC, MONTREAL - Industrial Worker, October 2005
The Confederation des Syndicats Nationaux has reached agreements at 18 Montreal hotels, and is now negotiating for similar agreements at other CSN-represented hotels across the province.
The first weeks of July were a time of intense mobilisation for some 4,000 hotel workers in Montreal. Contracts ended June 30 and workers responded with a week of disruption that began with informational picket lines during extended lunch breaks and culminated July 8 with a 24-hour strike. Sheraton settled with the union an hour before its 400 workers joined the strike; the Hilton reached an identical agreement the next day, while the Omni responded by locking out its 200 workers for nine weeks.
On July 12 a mass meeting set July 15 as the deadline to reach agreements with the remaining hotels. In the end, only the workers at the Plaza Metro Center had to go on strike to force an agreement matching the agreements with the Sheraton and Hilton.
The agreement involves wage increases of 11 percent over three years and abolishes the "wage ladder." After 30 days, everyone working the same job gets the same pay, promoting equality among workers. Instead, workers with more seniority will get more vacation time. Workers will now be entitled to 4 weeks' holiday after seven years on the job, and older workers can choose a three- or four-day work week. Health and pension benefits were also improved.
While many unions have created regional locals and centralized decision-making, the CSN has taken a different route. The Confederation organises on the basis of one workplace, one local. As a result, it has 40 hotel locals across Quebec. To avoid the isolation and weakness this autonomy could generate, CSN unions join in a federation and are deeply involved in coordinated negotiations. Every local negotiates directly with its boss, but - in addition to local demands - they agree on a joint platform which sets baseline demands for creating an industry standard.
The platform and the negotiation protocol must be approved by a vote in all of the member unions. Out of 9,000 CSN members in the hotel industry, 7,000 are currently involved in the coordinated negotiation. Since the idea started in Montreal, only workers in this city currently have contracts expiring at the same time - one of the goals of the current round is to make sure that every other region does the same.
The CSN unions in the hotel industry are living proof that it is possible to organise in the service industry and to materially improve working conditions through coordinated action. Unfortunately, the wisdom of the hotel workers - that unity makes strength - is not yet shared widely across other sectors.
As we go to press, the Omni chain national managers have just settled the strike at its Mont Royal hotel, with workers returning Sept. 20 under terms similar to those reached at other Montreal hotels.