BREAKING: Workers Deliver 72-hour Strike Notice to Downtown Vancouver Hotel

Vancouver – Workers at Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites Vancouver Downtown have issued 72-hour strike notice to their employer.  They join hundreds of other hotel workers across Downtown Vancouver who are demanding higher wages and better working conditions while the city’s hotels draw record-setting revenues.

Room attendants, front desk agents, cooks, dishwashers and others at the 245-room hotel near the Granville Entertainment District will be in a position to take strike action effective Monday, July 29.

“Our wages are too low considering how expensive Vancouver is today. Rent, groceries, and prices, for basically everything, has gone up. My co-workers and I are having to consider second jobs to get by.  The hotel is charging guests over $500 for a room tonight, but management dismisses us when we say we deserve more,” said Andrea Fuentes, a room attendant at the Holiday Inn & Suites for 22 years.

Nearly 2,000 hotel workers with UNITE HERE Local 40 are in contract bargaining across downtown Vancouver this summer demanding wages that keep up with the city’s astronomical cost of living. Hotel workers at Hyatt Regency Vancouver launched a one-day strike action last week and rallied around the demand that it takes $40/hour to live in Vancouver.

Vancouver’s hotel industry continues to boom with soaring room rates. Hotel room revenues reached nearly $1.4 billion last year, rebounding strongly after the pandemic, and are on track to top last year’s earnings.  While hotel room revenues hit record levels in Vancouver and province-wide, hotel staffing in accommodations has declined 30% on average since 2019.

Holiday Inn workers voted 96% in favour of strike action earlier this month. The collective agreement expired in May.  The hotel is operated by Atlific Hotels.

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

 

Press Release: City Council Approves Rezoning of 5455 Balsam St with Conditions

Decision could displace seniors; made minutes before approval of Seniors Housing Strategy

Vancouver, BC – TODAY, Vancouver City Council unanimously approved Larco Investments’ rezoning application for 5455 Balsam St.

The tenants, the majority of whom are seniors, have reported extensive maintenance issues at their building, including lack of heat during winter due to insufficient boiler repairs, frequent elevator breakdowns, and dysfunctional ventilation. The rezoning would exacerbate tenants’ difficulties by removing their underground parking lot during construction, posing safety risks for those with mobility issues. Over ten residents have signed statements saying that this decision will force them to leave the building. “Tell me, where will I go in this housing crisis?” asked Elizabeth Cross, a tenant in the building.

Ironically, this decision came minutes before Council approved the Seniors Housing Strategy, which recommends policy to “increase the supply and renewal of affordable and appropriate housing for older adults,” and to “support healthy aging in place.”

After extensive testimony in opposition to the rezoning during the July 9 public hearing, the meeting was adjourned to give City Staff time to write conditions to address issues raised, such as enforcing standards of maintenance at the existing building, reopening the pool, and securing off-site parking.

“How can you admit that a developer has been ‘deplorable’, then reward them with a lucrative rezoning approval?” asked Daniel Kasowitz, referring to the word Councilor Kirby-Yung used to describe Larco’s maintenance practices. “By siding with this billionaire developer, Council has put many of us seniors in danger of being displaced. The fact that they did this on the same day as approving a policy to protect senior renters is scandalous. They must now do everything in their power to make things right, by ensuring that the provided parking does not increase our risk of injury.”

When explaining their decision to approve the rezoning, Councillors stated that they believe the added conditions are sufficient to address the tenant’s concerns––for example, before the development permit is approved, the maintenance of the existing building must be certified to the satisfaction of the City Building Inspector.

However, tenants are not confident that this alone will fix things. Last week, they sent a letter, along with tenants from another Larco property, 1225 Cardero Street, to the City Management and Integrity Commissioner, calling for an investigation into the City’s failure to uphold Standards of Maintenance bylaws at their buildings. In it, they allege that the city has knowingly allowed the buildings to fall into disrepair––in the case of 1225 Cardero Street, the City has yet to prosecute Larco into repairing the building’s ventilation, despite knowing it was broken for over six years.

“How can we trust the City’s building inspectors enforce these conditions, given our past experiences with their inaction?” asked tenant Ileana Madrid.

Regardless, tenants understand that the conditions require significant concessions from Larco, which otherwise would not have been achieved. “We are glad that City Council has taken our concerns seriously and appreciate that these amendments can be a mechanism to improve our living standards,” said Bhavna Solecki. “Council must remain engaged with our struggle going forward, to ensure they are properly enforced. We need oversight in this process. City officials must conduct independent and objective reports about the maintenance of our building, and they must be held accountable for their past failures.”

Contact: Nate Holers, 250-889-7682, [email protected]

Press Release: Tenants Protest Development that would Displace Seniors; Council to weigh rezoning same day as Seniors’ Housing Strategy vote

Vancouver, BC –– This evening, tenants at 5455 Balsam St protested the rezoning of their property, before marching to block traffic on 41st Ave during rush-hour. Their landlord, Larco Investments, is applying to build an unaffordable high-rise on top of their garden space.

 

The tenants, the majority of whom are seniors, have called for an investigation into the City’s failure to uphold Standards of Maintenance bylaws at their building, including lack of heat during winter due to insufficient boiler repairs, frequent elevator breakdowns, and an unusable pool for the past three years. In a Friday meeting with Corrie Okell, Vancouver’s General Manager of Buildings, a senior tenant named John Tierney challenged her regarding the building’s boiler: “I sincerely hope the senior members of your family in December are living in places that are heated… And I hope nobody sets fire to this place, because it’ll be on our city’s conscience.”

 

The rezoning would exacerbate tenants’ difficulties by removing their underground parking lot during construction, posing safety risks for those with mobility issues. Over ten residents have signed statements saying that the development will force them to leave the building if it is approved. “Tell me, where will I go in this housing crisis?” asked Elizabeth Cross, a tenant in the building.

 

After adjourning the previous meeting on July 9, Council is poised to vote on the rezoning tomorrow morning. Ironically, this vote will take place in the same meeting as Council’s vote on the Seniors Housing Strategy, a report with key directions to “improve home and building supports for older adults” and “increase the supply and renewal of affordable and appropriate housing for older adults.”

 

“If Council were to approve this rezoning and displace us during the same meeting where they approve a policy made to protect senior renters, it would be a scandal beyond belief,” said Ileana Madrid.  “This will be a defining moment for our City Council, where we can see how they truly feel about Vancouver’s seniors.”

 

The tenants were joined at the rally by a group of striking workers from the Sheraton Vancouver Airport hotel, another property owned and managed by Larco. The crowd marched to 41st avenue, chanting slogans against the rezoning. Some held signs that read “Seniors Deserve Dignity!”, “No Deals for Larco!”, “Protect Our Green Spaces!”, among others.

 

Contact: Nate Holers, 250-889-7682, [email protected]

Media Advisory: Tenants to Hold Rally Against Rezoning, Plan Street Action on 41st Ave During Rush Hour

Vancouver, BC — TODAY, Tenants at 5455 Balsam St are protesting the rezoning of their property, with a street action at 41st Ave during rush hour. Their landlord, Larco Investments, is applying to build an unaffordable high-rise on top of their garden space, which would remove their parking garage during construction.

The tenants recently met with Corrie Okell, Vancouver’s General Manager of Buildings, to discuss violations of Standards of Maintenance bylaws committed by Larco at their building, including lack of heat during winter due to insufficient boiler repairs, frequent elevator breakdowns, and an unusable pool for the past three years. The rezoning would exacerbate tenants’ difficulties by removing their underground parking lot during construction, posing safety risks for those with mobility issues. The majority of tenants are seniors, and ten of them have signed statements saying they will be displaced from the building if the rezoning is approved.

Striking workers from Sheraton Vancouver Airport hotel, another Larco property, will join the rally in solidarity. Vancouver City Council has received over one thousand letters from tenants and community members in opposition to the rezoning. At a public hearing on July 9, tenants expressed their concerns directly to Council, who then adjourned the meeting to add conditions for approval. The meeting will reconvene on July 23rd, where coincidentally, Council will also review the Senior Housing Strategy report. As tenants view the rezoning as directly contradictory to many of the recommendations in the report, they plan to speak at the public hearing in protest.

WHO: Tenants of 5455 Balsam St, joined by striking workers from Sheraton YVR, and community allies.

WHERE: 5455 Balsam St, Vancouver, BC. Then the group will march to the intersection of Balsam and 41st.

WHEN: Monday, July 22 at 5:00 PM

VISUALS: Tenants and workers chanting with colorful signs in protest of the rezoning and Larco. Tenants and UNITE HERE Local 40 representatives will be made available for interviews.

Media Contact: Nate Holers, 250-889-7682, [email protected]

Press Release – Tenants Allege City of Vancouver Failed to Uphold City By-Laws at Larco Properties, Call for Investigation

Vancouver, BC – This week, serious questions have surfaced regarding the relationship between the City of Vancouver and Larco Investments, detailed in a letter sent to City Manager Paul Mochrie and General Manager of Buildings, Corrie Okell. Zailda Chan, President of UNITE HERE Local 40, sent a letter that was co-signed by a group of tenants from 1225 Cardero St and 5455 Balsam St, claiming that the City has failed to hold Larco Investments accountable for unresolved maintenance issues. An additional complaint was filed to the City of Vancouver’s Integrity Commissioner, raising questions about City Council’s role in the alleged negligence.

The most urgent concern highlighted in the letter is the unrepaired HVAC system at 1225 Cardero St, where on top of the pre-existing health issues resulting from the lack of ventilation, tenants have recently reported extreme temperatures over 40° C in their apartments. The City of Vancouver first confirmed that the landlord was in violation of the Standards of Maintenance By-Laws in September 2017, meaning City Staff have neglected to prosecute Larco on the issue for over six years. Despite a COV inspection report from March 2024 confirming the issue remains unresolved, the Chief Building Official has consistently ignored attempts at contact from both tenants and their legal representative.

This is echoed by similar concerns about the gas-fired boiler at 5455 Balsam St, which failed multiple times last winter, leaving the building without heat for days at a time. Tenants claim that Larco management dismissed any contractors who said that the boiler was too old to repair and should be condemned, prompting questions about the accuracy of reports accepted by City Staff.

For further details on the tenants’ allegations, the letter can be found here.

This development comes during an adjournment of City Council’s public hearing on the rezoning of 5455 Balsam St, in which Larco has applied to build a high-rise on top of existing tenant’s garden space. After extensive testimony in opposition to the rezoning, the meeting was adjourned to give City Staff time to write appropriate conditions to address issues raised, including an amendment to uphold standards of maintenance at the existing building. However, given their previous experiences with the City’s failure to do so, tenants are unconvinced this amendment will resolve their issues. “We will not allow them to use this adjournment to escape public scrutiny,” said Ileana Madrid from 5455 Balsam St.

Tenants reached out to UNITE HERE Local 40 after learning of the union’s strike at the Sheraton Vancouver Airport hotel––another property owned by Larco. “We write as a coalition of Vancouver workers and tenants, demanding justice for those impacted by the business practices of a powerful developer,” wrote President Chan. “We request that the City Managers urgently examine the relationship between Larco and the City, to ensure that it is operating independently of Larco’s influence and acting in the best interests of Vancouver’s citizens.”

Contact: Nate Holers, 250-889-7682, [email protected]