Coast Victoria Hotel Workers Issue 72-Hour Strike Notice, Paving Way for First Hotel Strike in Victoria in Decades

Victoria, B.C. – Workers at the Coast Victoria Hotel and Marina have issued 72-hour strike notice, setting the stage for the first hotel strike in Victoria since 1999. The notice was delivered Monday afternoon following a public rally outside the hotel where workers and supporters called for fair wages and respect on the job.

The 90 hotel workers, represented by BC’s hospitality union UNITE HERE Local 40, voted 93% in favour of strike action earlier this spring. After months of bargaining, workers say they are no closer to a fair agreement that reflects Victoria’s skyrocketing cost of living, despite living in the best performing hotel market across BC.

“Victoria is one of the most expensive cities in the country, but Coast workers are still making far below a living wage,” said Harj Aheer, Vancouver Island Representative for UNITE HERE Local 40. “This hotel has left workers with no choice but to take a stand.”

While hotel workers in Vancouver have raised industry standards – winning wage increases from $22 in 2019 to $33.16 as of July 1 – Victoria hotel wages have barely moved. Coast Victoria workers, many of whom earn $24 – $25 per hour, have only seen their wages rise by about $5 since 2019. The living wage in Victoria is now estimated at nearly $27 per hour.

“Hotel workers in Vancouver have shown what’s possible,” said Aheer. “Victoria workers deserve no less. This fight is about fairness, dignity, and making it possible to live and work in the same city.”

UNITE HERE Local 40 represents hospitality workers across the province, including hotel, airport, camp, and food service workers. The union has secured major gains for hospitality workers in recent contracts throughout B.C.

Media Contact: Rifat Islam | [email protected] | 604-619-0798