BREAKING: Why is a former NDP cabinet member planning to cross a Richmond picket line?

For Immediate Release

Vancouver BC — Striking workers are urging Harry Lali, the former NDP transportation and highways minister, to not cross their picket line at The Deck at Radisson Blu Vancouver Airport this weekend.

Mr. Lali’s family will be holding an event at The Deck despite the ongoing strike. Lali was made aware of the dispute in late May and was asked by a representative of UNITE HERE Local 40, which represents the striking workers, to relocate his family’s event to another location.  Workers from the hotel and The Deck have been on strike for over three years.

“Mr. Lali knew about the ongoing labour dispute, so why is he crossing workers’ picket line?  Many of the strikers are from the South Asian community. Has Mr. Lali, a former union member himself, completely forgotten working people?  Mr. Lali and his family should respect the workers and move their event to a venue that is not behind picket lines,” said Gulzar Grewal, Vice-President of UNITE HERE Local 40.

The BC Labour Relations Board recently slapped the hotel and its majority owner, Sukhminder Rai, with a cease and desist order for threatening and intimidating strikers on the picket line, many of whom are Punjabi women.  Rai threatened to fire one of the workers the day after the strike is settled, falsely told workers there are no kitchen jobs to return to, attempted to induce striking workers to retire, and made multiple insulting and threatening comments to one of the female strikers.

During the strike, the Labour Board has issued several cease and desist orders against the hotel for using impermissible replacement workers and ordered random inspections.

Contact: Michelle Travis, [email protected], 778-960-9785