Menu
For the past forty years, the vast majority of hotel workers’ unions in Quebec, tired of being controlled by American unions, have joined the CSN, a Montreal-based union confederation bringing together 330,000 workers across the country, in both the public and private sectors. Today, about sixty hotels, including some of the most prestigious, are unionized with the CSN, uniting nearly 10,000 workers in this sector.
The successes of CSN unions in the hotel industry speak for themselves. Indeed, they set the standard for all of North America:
Is it fair that hotel owners pay our colleagues in Montreal 10,000$/year more when the price of a room is far less than an overnight stay in Toronto?
All CSN collective agreements contain one particular, very simple clause, but one that stands any test. The work performed by salaried workers cannot be performed by anyone other than union members. Period.
Thus, neither subcontractors nor even the managers themselves can replace us in the performance of our work tasks. Neither laundry nor valet services, for instance, may be outsourced. Our jobs are protected.
CSN collective agreements also include provisions to prevent the bogus abolition of positions and the merging of classifications. Severance payouts of up to $1,700 per year of service have been introduced in cases where an employer terminates employment, such as: technological changes, legitimate abolition of classifications, closure of a department or a hotel, and repurposing of facilities.
Employers enjoy having a large pool of workers that they can assign anywhere they like, anytime it suits them. For workers, this kind of work flexibility too often translates into incomplete work weeks and disagreeable schedules.
To minimize inconveniences such as these, CSN unions have negotiated advantageous clauses:
All workers must also enjoy access to promotions or better positions. For this reason, CSN collective agreements stipulate that all workers can assert their seniority when a position is posted, regardless of the department, as long as they meet the normal requirements for the position.
Employer contribution to the workers’ pension fund is mandatory in CSN collective agreements.
Each room attendant’s workload is limited to a maximum of 14 rooms per day. However, due to the specificities of the clientele on weekends and during the summer months, the maximum is reduced to 13 rooms for those periods (i.e., for approximately half the days of the year).
Maximum numbers of suites, beds, and checkouts are also clearly set out in CSN collective agreements – even the maximum number of floors that a room attendant has to work on.
Since 1921, the CSN has participated in many struggles to improve the living and working conditions of millions of workers. Such efforts include struggles for free bargaining rights for all workers, a prevention-based approach in occupational health and safety practices, the right to a decent income for all retired workers, and much, much more. Today, the CSN (Confédération des syndicats nationaux) brings together more than 330,000 workers across the country, in both the public and private sectors.
RITZ-CARLTON MONTRÉAL
FAIRMONT LE REINE ELIZABETH
FAIRMONT LE MANOIR RICHELIEU
FAIRMONT ROYAL YORK HOTEL
W MONTRÉAL
MARRIOTT CHÂTEAU CHAMPLAIN
MARRIOTT MONTREAL DOWNTOWN
MARRIOTT RÉSIDENCE INN
HILTON MONTRÉAL
HILTON QUÉBEC
DELTA QUÉBEC
DELTA SHERBROOKE
HILTON MONTREAL AIRPORT
HILTON LAVAL
HILTON MONT-TREMBLANT RESORT
HILTON QUEBEC RESORT
HILTON GARDEN INN
HYATT PLACE MONTRÉAL CENTRE-VILLE
HOLIDAY INN MONTRÉAL CENTRE-VILLE
HOLIDAY INN LAVAL
HOLIDAY INN LONGUEUIL
OMNI MONT-ROYAL
BONAVENTURE HÔTEL
HÔTEL ESPRESSO MONTRÉAL CENTRE-VILLE
HÔTEL PUR, QUÉBEC
CENTRE INTERNATIONAL DE SÉJOUR DE QUÉBEC
HÔTEL LE CONCORDE QUÉBEC
CHÂTEAU MONT SAINTE-ANNE
HÔTEL CLARENDON, QUÉBEC
HÔTEL CLASSIQUE, QUÉBEC
HOTEL TRAVELODGE
MANOIR DU LAC DELAGE
HÔTEL CLARION, QUÉBEC
LE MÉRIDIEN VERSAILLES, MONTRÉAL
COMFORT SUITES DOWNTOWN
COMFORT INN MONTREAL
COMFORT INN DORVAL AIRPORT
RADISSON HOTEL MONTREAL AIRPORT
MOTEL IDÉAL
HÔTEL RUBY FOO’S
SUITES FAUBOURG ST-LAURENT
QUALITY INN DORVAL
DOUBLETREE BY HILTON MONTREAL
HOLIDAY INN PLAZA LA CHAUDIÈRE
AUBERGE DU LAC TAUREAU
HOLIDAY INN TREMBLANT
ERMITAGE DU LAC TREMBLANT
LODGE DE LA MONTAGNE TREMBLANT
PLACE ST-BERNARD TREMBLANT
SOMMET DES NEIGES TREMBLANT
TOUR DES VOYAGEURS TREMBLANT
LE NORANDA HÔTEL ET SPA
CHÂTEAU ROBERVAL
ERMITAGE SAINT-ANTOINE DE LAC BOUCHETTE
CENTRE DE VILLÉGIATURE JOUVENCE, ORFORD
QUALITY HOTEL & SUITES SHERBROOKE
Have them scan this QR code or visit THEUcsn.ca
The Toronto Hospitality Employees Union was born out of the need to create a strong union for the hospitality workers of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).
Working with the CSN and its high standards gained in Quebec, we realized that the time had come to develop our own autonomous union based right here in Toronto. We wanted to work with the CSN, while remaining focused on our specific needs, hopes and dreams, and being led by the hospitality workers in Toronto.
Address: 102 Adelaide St. E. Suite 200, Toronto, ON M5C 1K9
Email: info@theucsn.ca
Phone: (416) 360-7040
© THEU-CSN, All rights reserved.
