Article content

Better wages, sick days, on-call pay and seniority raises: simple things that are a dream for most minimum wage workers. But a small few are hoping to make that dream a reality.

Five employees of the Frite Alors! franchise on Rachel St. E. formed the Syndicat des Travailleurs et Travailleuses de Frite Alors — a small union dedicated to improving working conditions and pay at the fry chain.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Frite Alors! workers unionize to demand better pay, conditions Back to video

Specifically, the union is asking for an $1.80 increase to the hourly pay of serving staff, a $0.50 increase per year of seniority, as well as five paid sick days and some form of renumeration for remaining on-call.

They are also demanding formal training for each position, as well as having jobs posted internally first, to allow upward mobility within the restaurant.

Tensions between employees and the owner first began to heat up when the establishment’s air conditioner broke earlier in the season, said Morgane Mary-Pouliot, a waitress and member of the union at Frite Alors! Rachel.