PRESS RELEASE: Federal Government Takeover of Pacific Gateway Hotel Threatens 150 Jobs

UNITE HERE Local 40

Press Release – November 25, 2020
Contact: Stephanie Fung, [email protected], 604-928-7356

Federal Government Takeover of Pacific Gateway Hotel Threatens 150 Jobs

Vancouver, B.C. – Today, UNITE HERE Local 40 held a press conference and called on the federal government to prevent 150 workers from losing their jobs at the Pacific Gateway Hotel, currently being used as a quarantine site.  Hotel workers displaced by the takeover said they could be permanently terminated as early as January unless the government acts.

The federal government took over the hotel as a quarantine site near Vancouver International Airport and brought in the Red Cross to perform duties typically performed by the workers.  As COVID-19 cases continue to rise, the government’s contract has been repeatedly extended. Hotel management has said this is an involuntary seizure with no clear end date.  Yet, laid off Pacific Gateway workers could be permanently terminated as soon as January, when workers’ recall provisions in their collective bargaining agreement begin to expire.

“I have worked as a room attendant at Pacific Gateway Hotel for 45 years,” said Gangamma Naidu, a laid off room attendant.  The government took over my hotel and people hired by the Red Cross were trained to do my job. I worked all my life for this hotel and don’t deserve to be treated like this. Why isn’t the government protecting our jobs?”

The Trudeau government has urged employers to keep workers attached to their jobs.  Yet, their actions threaten the future of 150 long-term workers – most of them women and immigrants from the South Asian and Chinese communities. Many of them have served the hotel for decades.

“We understand that the hotel needs to be used to quarantine travellers,” said Treva Martell, a laid-off server who has worked at the hotel for 15 years. “But some of us could lose our jobs permanently starting in January. We’ve asked for 24 months to return to our jobs. We just want to know we can be recalled to our jobs, no matter how long the pandemic lasts.  Our federal leaders and the Pacific Gateway need to guarantee we’ll have jobs to return to when the pandemic is over,” said Martell.

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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. Local 40 is affiliated with UNITE HERE Canada.  Learn more at UniteHereLocal40.org. 

Media Advisory: Impacted by Quarantine Act, Displaced Hotel Workers ask Federal Government: Why Are You Taking Away Our Jobs?

Media Advisory for Video Press Conference – Wednesday, November 25, 2020 at 11AM PT/ 2PM ET
Contact: Stephanie Fung, [email protected] , 604-928-7356
Click here to register in advance

WHAT: UNITE HERE Local 40 will host a video press conference with laid-off workers who could permanently lose their jobs because of the federal takeover of the Pacific Gateway Hotel, currently being used as a quarantine site.  The workers are represented by UNITE HERE Local 40.

WHEN: Wednesday, November 25 at 11AM Pacific Time / 2PM Eastern Time

WHO: 

  • UNITE HERE Local 40 hotel members from Pacific Gateway Hotel
  • Robert Demand, UNITE HERE Local 40 Executive Director

WHERE: Zoom; RSVP here for conference information:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_GWY7dL_sT-Cjx_YyMKANMg

WHY:  The Trudeau government is urging employers to keep their workforce intact – yet the federal takeover of the Pacific Gateway Hotel, located near Vancouver International Airport, could put the jobs of 150 workers at risk. The federal government took over the hotel as a quarantine site in April and brought in the Red Cross to perform duties typically performed by hotel workers.  As COVID-19 cases rise, there is no end in sight to the federal takeover of the hotel.  Yet, the government has not acknowledged the impact of displacing long-term Pacific Gateway workers, most of whom are women and immigrants, who may begin to permanently lose their jobs in January.

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.

Press Release: UNITE HERE urges federal government to “Put Workers First” in bailouts of hospitality, aviation sectors

Contacts:
Melissa Sobers, [email protected], (416) 200-0207 (Toronto & Ottawa)
Stephanie Fung, [email protected], (604) 928-7356 (Vancouver)

UNITE HERE urges federal government to “Put Workers First” in bailouts  of hospitality, aviation sectors

Vancouver – Today, hospitality workers held rallies in hard-hit tourism markets – Vancouver, Toronto, and Ottawa – and called on the Trudeau government to condition any industry bailouts of the hospitality and aviation sectors on provisions to preserve workers’ jobs.  The government’s recent Throne Speech committed to providing support for the hard-hit tourism, hospitality, and aviation sectors.

UNITE HERE! Canada is urging the government to condition targeted sectoral bailouts on employers’ full participation in the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) to cover their active and furloughed workers; assurances that laid-off workers have a right to return to their jobs for up to 24 months; and worker retention to secure the jobs of contracted workers in Canada’s airports.  Few hospitality employers are using CEWS to cover furloughed workers as the program was intended. Without protections, most laid-off workers will not have a right to return to their jobs once the industry recovers.

Workers demonstrated outside the Hyatt Regency Vancouver and the St. Regis Toronto, while Ottawa Marriott workers held a virtual rally.  The hotels are owned by InnVest, Canada’s largest hotel owner.  InnVest CEO Lydia Chen sits on board of Hotel Association of Canada which is lobbying for bailout relief alongside airline and airport industry associations.

Heavily indebted hotel owners like InnVest stand to benefit from industry bailouts while thousands of workers face permanent layoffs. If past economic shocks are any guide, financial supports will help hotel investors and corporate interests pay their lenders but will not help laid-off workers remain attached to their jobs.  Many of Canada’s hospitality and aviation sector workers have been laid-off since March and have not been recalled to their jobs.  Industry experts suggest recovery of travel and tourism sectors may not begin in earnest until 2022 or later.

Randy Yadao, Laid-off Laundry Houseperson, Ottawa Marriott Hotel:

“My wife and I work in the hotel industry. It’s been hard for both of us to support our daughters and our family needs. Since being laid off we’re trying to save the best we can but without a job, I don’t know if we can still support our daughters’ dreams and give them a good education. It’s not our fault what’s happening right now. We work hard. I hope the government will make sure workers are recalled and tie bailouts to the wage subsidy.”

Leonora Mulholland, Laid-off room attendant, Fairmont Royal York (Toronto):

“I’ve worked at this hotel for 21 years. I cannot lose my job. This is about job security, knowing that I’ll have something to go back to after this pandemic passes and having my medical benefits contributions restored.  I rely on many types of medication to survive and to support my special needs son, I can’t do this without some sense of security. The federal government must keep their promise to workers. We’ve given so much to this hotel, to this city, and to this entire economy. Will they leave us behind?”

Naden Abenes, Laid-off room attendant, Hyatt Regency Vancouver:

“We have invested years of hard work to make this hotel successful.  We are always there for Hyatt and InnVest when they need us.  Now that times are hard, they won’t put us on the wage subsidy program and are refusing to give us 24 months to return to our jobs.  If we had recall protections or the wage subsidy, we would have some security.  These hotel companies shouldn’t get government bailout money if they won’t help us keep our jobs.”

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UNITE HERE! Canada represents over 18,000 workers across the nation who work in the hotel, food service, airport, and gaming sectors.

Media Advisory: Laid-off hospitality workers to hold actions in Toronto, Ottawa, & Vancouver; urge government to “Put Workers First” in any industry bailout

WHAT:

The Throne Speech outlined commitments to support the hard-hit tourism and hospitality sector. Canada’s largest hotel owner, InnVest Hotels, stands to benefit from industry bailouts while workers at their hotels are kicked off CEWS and face permanent layoffs. Laid-off hotel workers from InnVest-owned hotels, will hold multi-city actions to call attention to the need to put workers at the centre of any industry bailout.

WHO:

Laid-off hospitality workers in Toronto, Ottawa, and Vancouver, represented by the union for hospitality workers, UNITE HERE Canada.

WHEN:

Thursday, October 22, 2020

WHERE:

Toronto:  Demonstration at The St. Regis Toronto
325 Bay Street, Toronto
11AM ET

Ottawa:  Ottawa Marriott workers’ Action & Virtual Rally
Petition delivery – 10:30 AM ET
100 Kent St., Ottawa
Virtual Rally – 11 AM ET

Vancouver:  Press Conference and Demonstration at the Hyatt Regency Vancouver
655 Burrard Street, Vancouver
12:30PM PT

WHY:

Canada’s travel and tourism workers were among the first and hardest hit by the economic impact of Covid-19.  They will also be the last to return, with industry analysts suggesting recovery may not begin in earnest until 2022.  The government may soon announce details on targeted industry supports but if past economic shocks are any guide, financial supports will help hotel investors and corporate interests pay their lenders but will not help laid-off workers remain attached to their jobs.

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Contacts:
Stephanie Fung, [email protected], (604) 928-7356 (Vancouver)
Melissa Sobers, [email protected], (416) 200-0207 (Toronto & Ottawa)

UNITE HERE represents over 18,000 members across Canada who work in the hotel, food service, airport, and gaming sectors.

Statement from Zailda Chan, President of UNITE HERE Local 40, regarding BC’s economic recovery plan

For Immediate Release:
September 17, 2020

The provincial government’s economic recovery plan offers nothing of substance to protect the jobs of hospitality workers who have been laid off or terminated due to Covid. The takeaway from this plan is that BC’s hospitality workers are on their own.

While we can support economic assistance to hospitality employers, this should have been tied to a legally enforceable guarantee that if a business accepts tax dollars in any form you will return your laid-off staff when business improves.

The province could easily support job security for all of BC’s laid-off hospitality workers by granting workers a legal right of return to their pre-Covid jobs as conditions improve.  We have seen similar measures successfully implemented across the border in San Francisco, Los Angeles County and elsewhere. It would provide some certainty to laid-off workers and, more importantly, would not cost the province a dime.

The province’s offer of jobs to hospitality workers in long-term care is a small gesture, but it leaves 47,000 hospitality workers to fend for themselves with no legal rights to get their jobs back, instead of being replaced as business recovers.

We look forward to learning more about the Tourism Task Force and how the province plans to reconnect laid-off workers to their jobs so that employers do not replace them with new lower wage workers when conditions improve.

Media Contacts:
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.