Day 4 of #Fast4OurJobs: Statement by UNITE HERE Local 40 President regarding Minister of Labour’s Announcement on Temporary Layoff Provisions

For Immediate Release – August 13, 2020

Statement by Zailda Chan, UNITE HERE Local 40 President, regarding Minister of Labour’s Announcement on Temporary Layoff Provisions:

“While today the province announced steps they are taking to ease the process for employers to delay severance payments to benefit the business community–weeks prior to the August 31st expiration– we have been informed that the government will have a proposal for us to review on hotel workers’ legal right to return to work around August 20th.

We will be speaking to our fasters who are now on Day 4 of their hunger strike.  We will be bringing in medical staff to examine them to find out if anyone will not be able to last an additional 8 days.  For anyone who cannot endure the additional time, we will have other fasters rotate in to take their place so that the hunger strike can continue.

For 50,000 laid-off hotel workers, the solution is not complicated.  The province should enact a legal right for workers – laid off due to the pandemic – to be recalled to their jobs when business recovers.”

Contact: Michelle Travis, [email protected], 778-960-9785; or Stephanie Fung, [email protected], 604-928-7356