Hotel Bonaventure workers locked out, union says

The union for striking workers at Montreal's Bonaventure Hotel says its employees have been locked out.

The employees went on a 36-hour strike Saturday. Monday morning, the union said the hotel's owner had locked them out.

One of the hotel's general managers was seen Monday working as a concierge and hailing cabs for guests.

The Syndicat des travailleurs du Bonaventure represents 200 workers. They have been without a contract since June.

The union is demanding better holiday and severance pay as well as job protection. The demands are justified, union negotiators say, because of the recent increase in tourism in Quebec.

Michel Paré speaks for the hotel workers. He says the owner has agreed to a pay raise but with too many conditions.

"He wants to have the possibility of scheduling people four hours. He wants to have the possibility of taking an employee and moving him into another job any time without limit of time, without description of capability of doing the job," said Paré.

The Bonaventure is one of a number of hotels in Quebec where contract talks have stalled. So far, eight hotels have reached tentative deals with staff.