Workers have served strike notice at the Fairmont Empress, a well-known landmark hotel in Victoria.

A statement from Unifor Local 4276 says it represents almost 500 workers in several departments from housekeeping to grounds keeping.

The strike notice expires at 8 a.m. Saturday.

The union says it is seeking modest gains in wages and benefits and changes to workload. It blames the company's demands for concessions for the impasse.

Tracey Drake, the hotel's director of marketing and public relations, says in an email the main goal' is to continue negotiations and she is optimistic that the remaining issues can be resolved in "an effective and timely manner.''

Unifor national president Jerry Dias says the chain "can't have a first-class hotel without first-class service and first-class working conditions.''