From picket lines to policy: the legacy of Canada’s longest hotel strike

Mohamed Dabo

Thu, Apr 10, 2025, 5:40 PM 5 min read

In the annals of Canadian labour history, few events have left as indelible a mark as the long-running hotel strike at the historic Hôtel des Gouverneurs in Trois-Rivières, Quebec.

What began as a dispute over working conditions and wage fairness evolved into a powerful symbol of workers' resilience, shaping public policy, igniting broader conversations on workers' rights, and setting a precedent for future labour movements in the hospitality sector.

Spanning nearly four years — from December 2004 until November 2008 — the strike became the longest hotel labour dispute in Canadian history, leaving behind a legacy that continues to resonate.

At the heart of the conflict was a deeply entrenched disagreement between the workers, represented by the Confédération des syndicats nationaux (CSN), and the hotel management.

Employees cited stagnant wages, job insecurity, excessive workloads, and management’s refusal to negotiate collective agreements as key issues. For many, the tipping point was the hotel’s insistence on reduced hours and the outsourcing of jobs, which threatened both income stability and job dignity.

The Hôtel des Gouverneurs, operated by the Gouverneur Hotels chain, had long been a cornerstone of Trois-Rivières’ tourism economy.

But behind its polished façade, staff endured conditions that fell short of industry standards. Housekeepers, for example, were expected to clean an unreasonable number of rooms per shift without the requisite increase in pay or breaks.

The union’s demands were not radical — fair wages, better scheduling, and a collective agreement that reflected the actual work being done.

When negotiations broke down in late 2004, workers walked off the job and began what they assumed would be a short-lived strike.

Few could have foreseen that the dispute would drag on for nearly four years, fuelled by management’s intransigence and a legal system ill-equipped to resolve such stalemates promptly.

What made the Hôtel des Gouverneurs strike unique was not just its duration, but the degree of community involvement and media attention it attracted.

As the strike stretched into its second and third years, support swelled beyond the CSN. Local residents, artists, students, and political figures rallied to the workers’ cause, holding benefit concerts, fundraisers, and awareness campaigns to maintain pressure on the hotel owners and show solidarity with the striking workers.

The strikers, in turn, remained remarkably disciplined and peaceful. The picket line outside the hotel became a site of perseverance — a place where workers gathered not just in protest, but in hope.