Archive for category: News

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.

—

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].

###

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.

Camp Workers at Civeo in Kitimat Win Historic Improvements in Workload

Great news for Kitimat camp workers! Camp workers at Civeo in Kitimat have won historic improvements in workload. With these changes, we expect Civeo housekeepers on average will clean 5 rooms LESS each day.

Improvements: 

  • 11 checkout LIMIT on a 10 hour shift!
  • LESS rooms for linen change rooms!
  • LESS rooms for more than 3 checkouts!
  • LESS rooms for travel time between rooms!
  • LESS rooms for travelling to additional floors!
  • LESS rooms for extra walkdowns!

“Many of us will now have several less rooms to clean everyday day. That means less stress, less injuries, and better morale,” said Monika Schuster, Housekeeping Shop Steward and Committee member. “I’m proud of our housekeepers, who stood together and won major improvements. When Local 40 members stand strong, we can improve our lives.”

Hotel Workers Win a Pathway to Recall: Laid-off Hotel Workers End “Fast for Our Jobs” Hunger Strike after 22 Days of Struggle Urging the Government to Protect 50,000 Jobs

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

Vancouver, BC — Today, on September 1, 2020, laid-off hotel workers ended their “Fast for Our Jobs” hunger strike in Maple Ridge after winning a pathway to recall rights. The end of the hunger strike follows Labour Minister Harry Bains’ announcement on the report on recall protections, where he stated that any economic recovery package would contain a pledge for employers to offer a right of first refusal to existing employees when work resumes. While Bains’ announcement is a first step toward recall rights for laid-off workers, UNITE HERE Local 40 members will continue to push the hospitality industry to ensure workers are able to return to their pre-Covid jobs.

 

“I’m really proud of all that we did to organize this hunger strike. Hotel workers refused to stay silent and brought this crisis to the forefront. The fact that we came together, first in Victoria and then in Maple Ridge, to fast for 22 days to save 50,000 jobs, that’s an accomplishment. Minister Bains said that he’ll ask employers receiving financial aid to pledge to bring back workers and I look forward to seeing how the government will implement this,” said Naden Abenes, a laid-off room attendant from Hyatt Regency Vancouver who fasted for five days in the hunger strike.

 

The 22-day “Fast for Our Jobs” hunger strike began on August 10th on the lawn of the BC Legislature in Victoria. Last week, hotel workers moved their encampment to Tourism Minister Lisa Beare’s office in Maple Ridge and yesterday demonstrated outside Labour Minister Harry Bains’ office hours before his announcement. 

-30-

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: Hunger Strikers to Hold Press Briefing outside Labour Minister Harry Bains’ Surrey Office

For Immediate Release
August 31, 2020 (Updated)

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

Demonstration to follow Comment on End of Extension of Temporary Layoff Provisions

 Vancouver, B.C.— Today, hunger strikers will hold a press briefing at the Surrey office of Labour Minister Harry Bains on Monday to comment on the extension of BC’s temporary layoff provisions.  Fasting hotel workers plan to move their encampment to Surrey and will hold a demonstration following the press briefing to demand that Minister Bains protect tens of thousands of laid-off workers who are at risk of permanently losing their jobs. The province extended the temporary layoff provisions to help businesses delay severance payouts to workers without granting laid-off workers a legal right to eventually return to their jobs. Today marks Day 22 of the “Fast for Our Jobs.”

WHO:  Hotel workers, community allies from across the Lower Mainland.

WHERE:  105-7327 137 Street, Surrey, BC (outside Minister Harry Bains’ office)

WHEN:  Monday, August 31, 11AM

VISUALS:  Fasters and supporters chanting, singing and marching, socially distanced and wearing masks, holding colourful banners, signs, and bullhorns.

-30-

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.