UNITE HERE Local 40 Launches Week of Action to Spotlight Westmont Hospitality’s Treatment of Pan Pacific Vancouver Workers Actions planned in 20 cities worldwide

WHAT: UNITE HERE Local 40 is kicking off a week of action to call attention to Westmont Hospitality’s treatment of Pan Pacific Vancouver hotel workers during the pandemic. Actions will take place in 20 cities worldwide to urge Westmont to return workers to their pre-pandemic jobs.  

WHEN: Sunday, March 13th to Friday, March 18th, 2022

WHO: UNITE HERE members, international labour allies, and community activists across North America and Europe.  

WHERE: The week of action kicks off in London, England with actions planned in 20 cities across Canada, the United States, Great Britain, and Europe.

WHY: Westmont-owned Pan Pacific Vancouver terminated nearly 100 workers during the pandemic rather than commit to return them to their pre-pandemic jobs as business recovers. Of the total number of women fired, 94% were women of colour. Some of the affected workers served the hotel for over 20 years. Westmont took advantage of the pandemic to dispose of their long-term workforce. Meanwhile, Westmont affiliates took over $48 million in taxpayer backed COVID-relief funds across North America, including Canadian wage subsidies intended to retain workers through the pandemic. Westmont, based in Mississauga and Houston, is a multinational hotel owner and operator with over 400 hotels worldwide.

Contact: Stephanie Fung, 604-928-7356 or [email protected], or Michelle Travis, 778-960-9785 or [email protected] 

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UNITE HERE Local 40 is a labour union representing workers in the hotel, food service and airport industries throughout British Columbia. Learn more at UniteHereLocal40.org.

Media Advisory: Locked Out Hilton Metrotown Workers to Hold International Women’s Day Rally

Hospitality workers’ union will launch petition calling on wedding vendors to support locked-out women

WHAT: Locked out Hilton Metrotown hotel workers, represented by UNITE HERE Local 40, will hold a rally today, Tuesday, March 8th,  International Women’s Day to call on the hotel to respect BC’s #UnequalWomen by resolving the lockout and returning them to their pre-pandemic jobs. On this day, UNITE HERE Local 40 will also launch a petition urging wedding vendors to support Hilton Metrotown workers and avoid doing business with the hotel.

WHERE: Hilton Vancouver Metrotown, 6083 McKay Avenue, Burnaby

WHEN: TODAY, Tuesday, March 8th at 2:00 PM (Pacific) 

WHO: Locked out Hilton Metrotown workers and community allies.

WHY:  As Hilton Metrotown launches marketing to women promoting the hotel as a wedding destination, UNITE HERE is calling on wedding vendors on International Women’s Day to support workers locked out at the hotel. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Hilton Metrotown management terminated 97 long-term hotel housekeepers, dishwashers, cooks, servers, front desk, and other staff. Many of the workers terminated are women. Shortly after, the hotel locked out the rest on April 15, 2021. Workers have been on the picket line for 11 months.

VISUALS: Locked out hotel workers and community allies marching, chanting, and carrying red signs and noisemakers outside the Hilton Metrotown.

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UNITE HERE Local 40 is the hospitality workers’ union and represents members in the hotel, food service and airport industries throughout British Columbia. Learn more at UniteHereLocal40.org.

Kemano Staff House Staff Ratify New Collective Agreement, UNITE HERE Local 40 Creates New Standard for Remote Camp Workers in BC

Kemano-Kitimat, BC — Camp workers from ESS Support Services at Kemano Staff House have ratified a new collective agreement with a 100% “yes” vote this week. UNITE HERE Local 40, BC’s camp workers’ union, continues to maintain the highest standards for remote camp workers across the province.

Culinary and housekeeping employees will now be earning the highest wages in BC for camp workers. In addition to the increase in wages, the new collective agreement recognizes the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on September 30th as a paid statutory holiday for ESS employees. Local 40 commends ESS’s respect to Indigenous workers, as the day is intended to educate and remind Canadians about the history of residential schools and honour those who were impacted.

Robert Demand, Local 40 Executive Director and BC Building Trade Executive Board Member: “We want to acknowledge Compass ESS’ continued commitment to the local Kitimat community and for providing fair wages that take into account the rising cost of living in our members’ communities.”

Last month, close to 60 ATCO employees in Valemount on the Transmountain pipeline voted to join Local 40. The Union has organized more than 400 workers over the past two years, raising the living standards for remote camp workers across BC.

Local 40 continues to organize Civeo employees across the province. Late last year, Civeo was found by the Labour Relations Board to have violated the BC labour code by giving improper support to the BC Regional Council of Carpenters and unduly influenced workers against Local 40.

Media Contact: Stephanie Fung, 604-928-7356, [email protected]

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UNITE HERE Local 40 is the camp and hospitality workers’ union and represents members in the industrial camps, hotels, food service and airports throughout British Columbia. Learn more at UniteHereLocal40.org.

To Have and to Hold? Hilton Metrotown Workers Stage Demonstration to Urge Prospective Newlyweds Not to Get Married at Hotel

Burnaby, BC — Today on Valentine’s Day, locked out Hilton Metrotown hotel workers, represented by UNITE HERE Local 40, set up a picket line in front of a mock wedding outside the hotel, to urge couples to  “put a ring on it” somewhere else. During the pandemic, Hilton Metrotown management terminated 97 long-term staff, and locked out the rest on April 15, 2021. Workers have been on the picket line for nearly 10 months.

Hilton Metrotown is a popular wedding destination for Burnaby locals looking to tie the knot. While Hilton Metrotown has promoted To Have & To Hold, an “all inclusive intimate wedding ceremony” package for customers, workers are describing a much different story at the hotel where they’ve been locked out of their jobs.

“Don’t put a ring on it at Hilton Metrotown. I worked as a room attendant for 15 years at this hotel until management locked me out in 2021, after firing 97 of my co-workers. I urge you to tie the knot at a venue that respects workers,” said Jaswinder Bassi.

“I met the love of my life at this hotel, where he worked as a chef and I as a night auditor. We are incensed at Hilton Metrotown’s actions. Would you get married at a hotel that disrespects working people?” said Liza Secretaria, who served the hotel for almost 22 years.

The B.C. Federation of Labour has endorsed a boycott of Hilton Vancouver Metrotown. UNITE HERE Local 40 launched a website last spring to call attention to how hotels have used the pandemic to roll back the clock on women’s economic security. The Union is urging couples to choose other venues that respect workers by visiting our Travel Alert webpage, https://www.bcunequalwomen.org/bc-travel-alert/.

For more information, please contact: Stephanie Fung, 604-928-7356, [email protected], or Michelle Travis, 778-960-9785, [email protected].

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UNITE HERE Local 40 is the hospitality workers’ union and represents members in the hotel, food service and airport industries throughout British Columbia. Learn more at UniteHereLocal40.org.

Wedding Media Advisory: Locked Out Hilton Metrotown Workers Urge Wedding Planners and Couples, “Don’t Put a Ring on It at Hilton!”

WHAT: Locked out Hilton Metrotown hotel workers, represented by UNITE HERE Local 40, will set up a picket line in front of a mock wedding to inform prospective newlyweds about unfair working conditions at the high-end hotel. This wedding season, locked out Hilton Vancouver Metrotown workers are urging couples who are thinking of getting married at the hotel to tie the knot somewhere else. 

WHERE: Hilton Vancouver Metrotown, 6083 McKay Avenue, Burnaby

WHEN: TODAY, February 14 @ 12:00 pm 

WHO: Locked out Hilton Metrotown workers and community allies.

WHY: The Hilton Vancouver Metrotown is a popular wedding destination for couples looking to tie the knot. While the hotel promotes itself as a socially responsible hotel, workers describe a different story behind the scenes. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Hilton Metrotown management terminated 97 long-term hotel housekeepers, dishwashers, cooks, servers, front desk, and other staff. Shortly afte r, they locked out the rest on April 15, 2021. The hotel wants to eliminate daily room sanitizing, which raises worker safety concerns, and is seeking major concessions. Workers have been on the picket line for 11 months.

VISUALS: Street theater featuring a picket line in front of two locked out workers dressed up as a bride and groom, who are getting married in front of the hotel. Locked out workers with hand-painted signs and a banner saying, “Don’t put a ring on it at Hilton Metrotown!”

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UNITE HERE Local 40 is the hospitality workers’ union and represents members in the hotel, food service and airport industries throughout British Columbia. Learn more at UniteHereLocal40.org.