Burnaby Mayor to Hilton Metrotown: Stop Pandemic Firings of Women

Burnaby, BC – Burnaby Mayor Mike Hurley has rebuked Hilton Metrotown for its treatment of workers, particularly the women who clean hotel rooms and serve guests.  In a letter to hotel management, Mayor Hurley urged Hilton to guarantee laid-off workers be allowed to return to their jobs when business recovers.  The letter comes after Hilton terminated dozens of laid-off workers this month and indicated plans to eliminate much of its workforce by the end of March.

In a letter to the hotel, Mayor Hurley lent his support to women hotel workers who have been particularly hard hit by Hilton’s actions.

“Hilton Metrotown is treating the women who have long served Burnaby’s visitors like they’re disposable.  That is unacceptable.  Women who clean rooms and serve guests are the backbone of the hotel industry.  Hotel workers deserve the right to get their jobs back when business returns.  As we enter Women’s History Month, Hilton Metrotown is proving itself to be on the wrong side of history,” said Mayor Hurley.

“We thank Mayor Hurley for his support of hotel workers, especially the women who have made Hilton Metrotown a success.  Hilton is using the pandemic to take advantage of workers, but the women who have raised their families on these jobs will not allow them to get away with this,” said Zailda Chan, President of UNITE HERE Local 40.

Hilton workers recently launched a partial strike and are urging customers not to spend money at the hotel.

Contact: Stephanie Fung, 604-928-7356, sfung@local40union.com, or Michelle Travis, 778-960-9785, mtravis@unitehere.org

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

BREAKING: Workers at Federal Quarantine Hotel, Pacific Gateway, Vote to Strike

Immigrant women ask Prime Minister Trudeau, “Will you be crossing our picket line?”

Vancouver – Workers from the Pacific Gateway Hotel, currently a federal quarantine site, have voted 91% in favour of strike action. The workers voted to strike after the hotel followed through on its threat to terminate laid-off workers, including women with up to 19 years of service at the hotel. Pacific Gateway refuses to recall their staff when business recovers. The hotel has indicated plans to terminate the majority of its workers by the end of March.

Picket lines could go up any time after workers issue 72-hour strike notice. The workers are represented by UNITE HERE Local 40.

Pacific Gateway’s actions will hit women of colour the hardest. Future job losses will disproportionately impact older immigrant women from the South Asian, Chinese, and Filipino communities who have served the hotel for decades.

Despite efforts to engage the Liberal government and hotel management, workers have been displaced since the government brought in the Red Cross to replace them and perform similar job duties. Now, the hotel plans to terminate them.

The Liberal Government has acknowledged that women and racialized Canadians have borne the brunt of the pandemic. Yet, the federal quarantine hotel’s actions are destroying the livelihoods of Canada’s most vulnerable workers. Women at Pacific Gateway are not allowing this to happen without a fight to save their hotel jobs.

“I’m a single mom with two kids ages 12 and 13. I need my job. The government should be protecting our jobs so we can return when business comes back. If Pacific Gateway gets away with firing us, other hotels will follow suit. That’s why we are going to fight back; we can’t let this happen. Will Justin Trudeau do the same? Or will he be crossing our picket line when we strike?” said Elisa Cardona, laid-off hostess who has worked at Pacific Gateway for 7 years.

“Women at this hotel are on the verge of losing everything they worked so hard for when they immigrated to Canada. Will Prime Minister Trudeau allow this to happen?  We cannot allow hotels like Pacific Gateway to roll back the clock on women’s economic livelihoods. When the picket line goes up, we expect the Prime Minister to join us in saying ‘No’ to unequal women in the hotel industry,” said Zailda Chan, President of UNITE HERE Local 40.

Media Contact: Stephanie Fung, 604-928-7356, sfung@local40union.com; or Michelle Travis, 778-960-9785, mtravis@unitehere.org.

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

PRESS RELEASE: Hilton Metrotown Workers Escalate Job Action; Hotel Housekeepers, Servers, Urge Future Customers Not to Patronize Hotel

For Immediate Release
February 23, 2021

Contact: Stephanie Fung, 604-928-7356, sfung@local40union.com, or Michelle Travis, 778-960-9785, mtravis@unitehere.org.

Hard hit by pandemic, unequal women push back against hotel terminations

Vancouver, BC – Hilton Metrotown workers announced today they will be urging prospective hotel guests not to patronize the hotel.  They are escalating their job action after the hotel permanently laid off dozens of workers.  The hotel has stated plans to eliminate much of the workforce, many of them immigrant women with up to 20 years on the job.

Hilton Metrotown refuses to extend workers’ right to return to their jobs despite the looming rollout of the vaccine and forecasts suggesting the hotel industry could begin to rebound in fall 2021.  UNITE HERE Local 40, which represents the workers, is pursing legal avenues to fight the terminations.

The permanent layoffs affect long serving immigrant workers, many of them women disproportionately impacted by the economic repercussions of the pandemic. The “she-cession” hit women first and hardest with greater job losses and underemployment in sectors like hospitality.  Women make up the majority of hourly wage workers in the hotel industry.

“For 21 years, I have served guests at Hilton Metrotown. I’m a single mom and raised my son on this job. I’m stressed about my future and worried about my co-workers who are single moms with families to support. Customers would be shocked to hear how we’re being treated during the pandemic.  Until Hilton agrees to honour our years of service, we want customers to take their business to other hotels,” said Angelica Hernandez, laid-off banquet server.

“My son was 5 when I started working at Hilton. He’s 19 years old now. I helped support my family with this job. The women I work with here are like a second family. The Hilton has already terminated some of my-coworkers in housekeeping.  We’re all scared.  We should not lose our jobs because of the pandemic, so we must take action until we get our jobs back,” said Jaswinder Bassi, laid-off room attendant.

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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.

MEDIA ADVISORY: Press Conference – Hilton Metrotown Hotel Workers Escalate Job Action; Women leading Hotel Fight to Advise Customers to Stay Away

Media Advisory
February 23, 2021

Contact: Stephanie Fung, 604-928-7356, sfung@local40union.com, or Michelle Travis, 778-960-9785, mtravis@unitehere.org. 

 UNITE HERE Local 40 Press Conference at 12:30 PM Today

Vancouver, BC – Today, Hilton Metrotown hotel workers, represented by UNITE HERE Local 40, will hold a press conference to announce an escalation of their job action.  Hotel workers launched a partial strike action last week after the Hilton permanently laid off dozens of workers. The hotel has stated plans to eliminate much of its workforce, many of them immigrant women with up to 20 years on the job.

WHAT:            UNITE HERE Local 40 Press Conference

WHO:                Zailda Chan, President of UNITE HERE Local 40, and Hilton               Metrotown workers.

WHERE:           Hilton Metrotown Hotel, 6083 McKay Avenue, Burnaby, BC

WHEN:            Tuesday, February 23 at 12:30 PM  (Note time change)

VISUALS:         Hotel workers outside Hilton Vancouver Metrotown, wearing masks, distanced 2 metres apart, chanting and speaking with colourful banners, signs, and bullhorns.

Media Availability: Local 40 President Zailda Chan will be available for interviews during and after the press conference.

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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.

PRESS RELEASE: Hilton Vancouver Metrotown Workers Launch Job Action; Unequal Women Stand Up to Protect Jobs

For Immediate Release
February 19, 2021

Vancouver, BC – Hilton Metrotown workers have initiated a partial strike action over job security. This comes on the heels of a round of permanent layoffs initiated by the Hilton to significantly cut staffing. The terminations affect long serving immigrant workers, many of them women who have been disproportionately impacted by the economic repercussions of the pandemic. The “she-cession” hit women first and hardest with greater job losses and underemployment in sectors decimated by the pandemic, like hospitality.

This week, the Hilton initiated a second round of unlawful permanent layoffs after receiving notice of the job action.  UNITE HERE Local 40, which represents the workers, is pursuing legal steps to fight the unjust terminations.

Hilton Metrotown has refused to extend workers’ right to return to their jobs beyond 12 months despite the extenuating circumstances of a major public health crisis. Nearly 40 workers have been permanently terminated since last month; the hotel has made clear its plans to eliminate much of the staff, including women who have worked at the Hilton Metrotown for two decades.

Women who clean, cater to and care for Hilton guests are leading the fight to save hotel jobs from an industry intent on using the pandemic to slash and burn them.

“The hotel wants to get rid of everyone and hire new workers to replace us. Women who I have worked alongside for years are being terminated. That isn’t right. I’m worried about my job too.  I’m 57 years old and have a young niece to support.  Who will offer me a job at my age if I have to start all over again?  Women like me made our hotel successful. That’s why we are leading the fight to protect our jobs,” said Gemma De la Torre, Hilton Metrotown room attendant.

“Vancouver’s tourism industry was built on the backs of women. Shame on the hotel industry for its pandemic profiteering. We say ‘No’ to unequal women in the hotel industry, because that will hurt the economic recovery for all of us,” said Zailda Chan, President of UNITE HERE Local 40.

The Union is currently in negotiations with Hilton Metrotown.

Media Contact: Stephanie Fung, 604-928-7356, sfung@local40union.com, or Michelle Travis, 778-960-9785, mtravis@unitehere.org.

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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.