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Richmond, BC — TODAY, a delegation of striking Sheraton Vancouver Airport hotel workers will speak before Richmond City Council to urge City Councillors not to spend any public money at the Sheraton, as well as it’s sister hotels – the Marriott and Hilton Vancouver Airport Hotels – until the labour dispute is resolved. The BC Labour Board deemed the three hotels, operated by Larco Hospitality, a common site and is permitting striking workers to picket the perimeter of the hotels. Now in their seventh month on strike, Sheraton Vancouver Airport workers – represented by UNITE HERE Local 40 – will ask the Council to support their fight for a living wage from the employer and respect their boycott of these Richmond hotels.

In 2022, Richmond City Council adopted a resolution that they will not support events or promote any business with Pacific Gateway Hotel (since renamed Radisson Blu) until an agreement with the union has been reached. Sheraton Vancouver Airport workers will ask Council to act accordingly in 2024, officially boycotting the Sheraton, Hilton, and Marriott Vancouver Airport hotels – the largest hotel complex in BC – until a new collective agreement is reached. The workers, many who reside in Richmond, are fighting for pay increases that will bring them closer to Metro Vancouver’s living wage of $25.68 per hour.

The Sheraton Vancouver Airport hotel was found to have violated the Labour Code multiple times in 2023 after workers walked off the job on June 14. This included using unlawful replacement workers to perform bargaining unit work of striking workers, and rebooking rooms for guests, as well as illegally moving events, from the Sheraton to neighbouring Marriott and Hilton hotels. “It is unacceptable that this employer has repeatedly violated the law, while refusing to seriously address workers’ wage concerns in an effort to resolve this dispute,” said Zailda Chan, UNITE HERE Local 40 President.

The BC Federation of Labour, representing nearly fifty affiliated unions with approximately 500,000 members across the province, has declared a public boycott of the hotel complex. “Our movement doesn’t use boycotts lightly. But when an employer repeatedly treats their workers with callous disrespect and appalling unfairness, a boycott is exactly the right response.” said Sussanne Skidmore, President of the BC Federation of Labour.

“City Council should do the right thing and adopt a resolution not to do business with the Sheraton, Marriott and Hilton Vancouver Airport hotels,” said Felisha Perry, a striking banquet server at the Sheraton and a Richmond resident. “Our strike, now in its seventh month, is fundamentally about earning enough to live. We want Council to stand with those of us fighting for a living wage and send a message to one of Canada’s wealthiest hotel owners to respect workers and resolve this dispute.”

Media Contact: Sharan Pawa, sharan@unitehere40.com, 604-710-1693

Vancouver, BC — South Asian hotel workers are urging Sparq Productions, the Calgary-based Bollywood choreography and entertainment provider, not to cross their picket line this New Year’s Eve.  Sparq Productions is slated to hold a New Year’s Eve event at The Deck at Radisson Blu Vancouver Airport where workers are currently on strike.

In a letter to Sparq Productions, striking workers call on event organizers to move their event to another venue to avoid crossing a picket line at the Vancouver area hotel. The workers have been on strike at Radisson Blu Vancouver Airport hotel since hotel management terminated 143 workers, or 70% of their staff, during the pandemic. Most of the impacted workers are women; many are from the South Asian community and worked at the hotel complex for decades. It is currently the longest hotel strike in Canada.

“Why are the owners of Sparq Productions disrespecting South Asian women by doing business with The Deck at Radisson Blu Vancouver Airport?  Some of my co-workers worked at this hotel for over 40 years before being unjustly terminated; that’s one of the reasons why we made the difficult decision to strike. Why is a dance party more important than supporting those of us within the community?” said Pardeep Thandi, a striking room attendant who has worked at the hotel for over 28 years.

The pair behind Sparq Productions, Tania Lemos and Vishal Malpuria, have ignored calls to move their event to another venue.  Sparq’s owners won the “South Asian Inspiration Award” last year, yet their plan to hold an event across picket lines is hypocritical to uplifting the South Asian community.

One of the affected workers filed a human rights complaint against the hotel employer (formerly named Pacific Gateway) on behalf of 90 women over sex and racial discrimination.  The complaint alleges that hotel management’s terminations disproportionately impacted women and women of colour. The complaint was filed with the BC Human Rights Tribunal and is pending.

Radisson Blu Vancouver Airport is majority owned by PHI Hotel Group, which, until recently, managed the Westin Calgary Airport hotel.  PHI Hotel Group and its owner are being sued by affiliates of Siksika Resource Development Ltd, the economic development arm of the Siksika Nation, for alleged fraud and misappropriation of $16 million in funds.  The plaintiffs allege that the owner of PHI Hotel Group, which was responsible for overseeing Westin Calgary Airport when it was used as a federal quarantine hotel, diverted millions received from the government and funneled the money to entities related to PHI Hotel Group. The lawsuit is ongoing.

Media Contact: Sharan Pawa, 604-710-1693, sharan@unitehere40.com