Press Release: UNITE HERE Local 40 Congratulates New Vancouver Mayor Pete Fry and Council, Urges Action on Affordability
VANCOUVER, BC – UNITE HERE Local 40, representing hotel, food service and airport workers across Vancouver, has issued an open letter congratulating Mayor Pete Fry and newly elected members of Vancouver City Council, while urging the incoming council to make affordability a central priority of its first 100 days.
The letter highlights the growing affordability crisis facing the workers who keep Vancouver running – from hotel room attendants and cooks to restaurant servers, dishwashers and airport workers – many of whom can no longer afford to live in the city they serve.
The union is calling on Mayor Fry and Council to revisit rushed decisions made by the previous council, including approvals now facing legal challenges. Among several contentious approvals, the former ABC council majority approved Holborn Group’s supertall tower project despite public opposition and before the city completed its Higher Buildings Policy review. They also approved a hotel development that would displace tenants at Myron Manor, 75 East 8th Avenue, despite opposition from more than 300 public speakers. Residents have filed petitions for judicial review seeking to overturn both decisions.
Local 40 is also urging the new council to stand with Vancouver’s tenants by prioritizing affordable homes ahead of luxury developments and requiring substantive community benefit agreements from developers seeking city approvals.
“Vancouver voters sent a clear message that affordability must be a priority. The people who welcome visitors, serve our communities, and power our local economy should be able to afford to live in the city they work in. We are ready to work with the new mayor and council to build a Vancouver that puts residents and working people first,” said Zailda Chan, President of UNITE HERE Local 40.
Contact: Michelle Travis, [email protected], 778-960-9785