Press Release: Hospitality Workers’ Union Challenges City of Vancouver’s Failure to Provide Equal Language Access at Public Hearings
Vancouver, BC – UNITE HERE Local 40 has filed a human rights complaint with the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal on behalf of three hotel workers, alleging the City of Vancouver discriminated against them by denying them an equal opportunity to participate in a public hearing held by City Council on June 2, 2026.
The workers, all members of UNITE HERE Local 40, registered to speak at a public hearing on the city’s Bill 16 Financing Growth Update, which included a proposed incentive for hotel developers. Each planned to speak in their first language, Punjabi or Serbian, with consecutive English interpretation provided by their own translator.
The complaint argues that the city provides no clear interpretation services for public hearings and no clear process for those who wish to speak in a language other than English. Instead, the city created barriers to allowing the workers’ interpreters to participate by phone.
Despite repeated attempts, the city’s telephone system failed to allow the interpreters to be heard by Council. In one case, Councilor Sarah Kirby-Yung, who was presiding over the hearing as acting Deputy Mayor, refused an interpreter’s attempt to provide English translation. As a result, Council did not receive translations of the speakers’ comments.
This effectively denied those wanting to use translators an equal opportunity to address Council. The complaint challenges these barriers as discrimination by denying the speakers equal access to a public service, contrary to the BC Human Rights Code.
“Vancouver is one of Canada’s most diverse cities, yet those whose first language is not English can still be shut down at City Hall,” said Zailda Chan, President of UNITE HERE Local 40. “The right to fully participate in public hearings should not depend on the language you speak.”
The Union is seeking systemic remedies requiring the city to establish interpretation procedures and accessible technology so that all members of the public can meaningfully participate in future Council hearings.
Last month, four hospitality workers filed a judicial review with the Supreme Court of B.C. seeking to overturn two rezoning decisions made by City Council on May 5 and May 7 after being denied a meaningful opportunity to participate in the public hearing process.
Contact: Michelle Travis, [email protected], 778-960-9785