Press Release – Hyatt Vancouver Downtown Alberni Workers Win Groundbreaking Contract, Setting New Wage Standard

VANCOUVER, BC — Hotel workers at the former Shangri-La Vancouver have secured a historic union contract that will raise wages for hotel workers to nearly $40 an hour by 2028, setting a new standard for hospitality jobs in Canada. The agreement affects approximately 90 workers who are represented by UNITE HERE Local 40.

This is the workers’ first collective agreement, which was ratified with 98% voting in favour. It delivers substantial wage gains – 25% to 50% over the life of the contract – with hotel housekeepers expected to earn nearly $40 an hour by the end of the term. The deal also includes job-security provisions to protect workers through ownership or brand changes.

Beyond significant wage increases, workers gained a union pension as well as banquet transparency measures to ensure fair distribution of service charges. The three-year agreement will expire in 2028.

The hotel, originally developed by Westbank and Peterson Group, was sold to Brookfield Asset Management this summer and temporarily renamed Hyatt Vancouver Downtown Alberni.  The property will undergo renovations next year and be rebranded under the luxury Park Hyatt brand.

“We are proud to welcome Hyatt Alberni workers to Local 40.  They have secured a new agreement that reflects what is possible when workers organize and stand together.  We thank Hyatt for coming to the table to reach an agreement and for investing in workers at this hotel,” said Zailda Chan, President of UNITE HERE Local 40.

Hyatt Alberni workers joined Local 40 in July 2025. Their victory is part of a growing wave of hospitality workers rising up across B.C. This year alone, hundreds of workers at the Georgian Court Hotel, Vancouver Airport Marriott, Landsea Hospitality, Blackwater Mine, and other sites have unionized—showing that hospitality workers are on the move, standing strong, and reshaping the industry together.

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