Employees at the Holiday Inn on Lombard St near Jarvis, represented by Unite Here Local 75, are hitting the picket line for the first time as part of a rotating strike at various downtown hotels.

On Thursday workers began their job action at the Holiday Inn, which marks the sixth one-day strike that employees of the Westmont chain have staged.

The protests coincide with the Toronto International Film Festival and some of the strikes have taken place at festival hubs including the Hyatt Regency and the Fairmont Royal York.

Employees have been working without a contract since July 16 and are protesting increased workloads and stagnant wages.

“Westmont has told us they want to be able to increase our workload even though we are already stretched,” Swarna Vjayakumaran, a housekeeper at the Holiday Inn Express, said in a statement. “This work is hurting our bodies. We deserve to be able to come home and have energy left for our families and our communities. Westmont can afford to have us work without pain.”