Media Advisory: Locked Out Workers to Call on Burnaby City Council to Not Spend City Money at Hilton Metrotown
Rally to be held at Burnaby City Hall on Monday
WHAT: Locked out Hilton Metrotown hotel workers will hold a rally at Burnaby City Hall next Monday urging Council to adopt a motion to not spend City money at the hotel. Hilton Metrotown locked out room attendants, front desk agents, banquet, and kitchen staff on April 16 after terminating 97 long-term staff. The hotel’s actions directly impact Burnaby working families – 50 of the affected workers live in the municipality. The workers are represented by UNITE HERE Local 40.
WHO: Hilton Metrotown hotel workers and community allies
WHEN: 4:30 PM PT, Monday, April 26, 2021
WHERE: Burnaby City Hall, 4949 Canada Way, Burnaby, BC
WHY: The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated inequalities and adversely impacted BC’s hotel workers, the majority of whom are women and people of colour. Hotel workers are urging Council to adopt a motion that the City will not hold, sponsor, or participate in any events held at Hilton Metrotown, nor reimburse city staff for attending events at the hotel, until terminated employees are reinstated and the labour dispute is resolved.
The motion also calls on the City to not accommodate any staff, contractors, or other persons on City business during the labour dispute, and that the City immediately inform all staff, contractors, and other affected persons that it will not reimburse expenses incurred on City business at the Hilton Metrotown during the labour dispute.
Since the lockout, workers have set up a picket line and are demonstrating daily outside the hotel. Earlier this month, large union customers, including BCGEU, BCTF, MoveUP, HEU, and PSAC-BC vowed not to patronize the hotel until Hilton Metrotown guarantees workers can return to their jobs, rather than be replaced, when the COVID-19 crisis is over.
At a time when the province is providing $120 million in new money to aid economic recovery in the tourism sector, Hilton Metrotown is using the pandemic to terminate long-term workers and permanently roll back economic gains made by women and people of colour who have long served the hotel. Hotel workers are urging elected officials at all levels of government to do more to support economically vulnerable workers hardest hit by the COVID-19 crisis.
#BCUnequalWomen
https://www.bcunequalwomen.org/bc-travel-alert/
CONTACT: Stephanie Fung, [email protected], 604-928-7356; or Michelle Travis, [email protected], 778-960-9785
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UNITE HERE Local 40 is a labour union representing workers in the hotel, food service and airport industries throughout British Columbia. Learn more at UniteHereLocal40.org.