Croupiers at the Casino de Montréal are preparing for a long conflict. In a full-page ad appearing this morning in the Journal de Montréal, CUPE 3939 extols the quality of these customer service professionals. In doing so, the union has begun acting as a de facto job placement agency!
“We’re determined! We’re ready. We’ll help our members who want to work elsewhere. Our conflict is largely attributable to the fact that the employer is not taking our demands seriously to improve occupational health and safety. A recent survey revealed that 40% of our members had to take time off work due to injuries sustained on the job,” explained Jean-Pierre Proulx, CUPE union representative.
The union pointed out that better scheduling of break times is needed, and employees are suffering too many repetitive stress injuries.
“The mind-boggling thing is that we did manage to get schedule adjustments we wanted throughout the pandemic. And suddenly, in mediation, they don’t want to give it to us,” added Proulx.
The unofficial English translation of the ad reads as follows: Are you looking for employees? Hundreds of workers are available, as they are on strike. They are customer service professionals. Please contact the Syndicat des croupiers et croupières du Casino de Montréal at info@sccm3939.com
The collective agreement governing the working conditions of the 521 croupiers expired on March 31, 2020. They have been on strike since May 21, 2022.