Archive for category: News

Coast and HIR Hotel Negotiations Underway

Nanaimo, BC – Negotiations for a new Union contract for Coast workers in Prince George (Coast Inn of the North), Kelowna (Coast Capri), Victoria (Coast Harbourside) and Nanaimo (Coast Bastion) have begun.

Our Bargaining Committee is pushing a bold economic proposal to increase wages, strengthen the pension, and establish sick days, but the Committee’s top priority is to improve health care. We are focusing on lowering eligibility hours so workers and their families will have access to coverage year around and on increasing the outdated benefit levels so workers can afford to go to a physiotherapist or a dentist.

The next round of bargaining is now scheduled for August 9th and 10th in Victoria at the Coast Harbourside Hotel.

Negotiations are also underway at Coast Plaza Hotel in Vancouver where the Union and management have made progress on workplace issues, especially with Room Attendant workload, but have not reached an agreement due to the Company’s economic proposal.

COMING SOON – HIR NEGOTIATIONS: Provincial bargaining with the more than 50 hotels in Victoria, Harrison, Vancouver, New Westminster, Nanaimo, Campbell River, Kamloops, Prince George, Fort St. John, Mackenzie, Terrace, Prince Rupert and other communities will begin on July 17th, 5PM at Empire Landmark Hotel. These hotels are all represented by Hospitality Industrial Relations (HIR). Stay tuned for more updates.

Rosewood Hotel Georgia workers win first-time union contract!

Rosewood Hotel Georgia workers ratified their new, first-time union contract by a vote of 97% yesterday. The Hotel Georgia workers achieved the downtown Vancouver contract standard–and more! Joining their co-workers at the Westin Bayshore, Four Seasons, Renaissance and Hyatt Regency, Hotel Georgia members built a strong committee, organized and successfully fought to achieve secure, family-supporting jobs.

Welcome to our new Local 40 members!

Hilton Metrotown workers ratify new contract!

slide7On November 14, 2011, UNITE HERE Local 40 members ratified a new union contract with the Hilton Metrotown Hotel by 89%. The new contract includes historic housekeeping workload relief language–the best in Canada–as well as key improvements to banquet workers’ compensation, pension contributions and wage increases for all Hilton workers.

The Hilton agreement achieves a new standard for hotel contracts in the Metro Vancouver area.

UNITE HERE’s housekeeping workload goals are always to make this work safer and more sustainable. The Hilton room attendants are now leading the way in this effort. Their new contract improvements include better access to supplies and equipment, a reduction in the number of floors housekeepers must travel daily, the strengthening of fair of assignment of work and no new duties assigned to room attendants without the Union’s consent.

Banquet department improvements include an increase in service charges and better transparency of banquet gratuities.

Additional hotel-wide contract improvements include a reduction in the number of hours required for health care coverage, pension contribution increases and significant wage increases.

The new contract was achieved through the hard work, organization and militancy of the Hilton Metrotown rank and file commitee leaders and their co-workers. The housekeeping and banquet departments were able to raise the bar for contract language in their areas by a high level of organization and mobilization of their co-workers.

On the way to achieving their historic contract, Hilton workers from all departments rallied at the hotel, delegated management, signed petitions, wore buttons and voted to strike by 92%

Hilton Metrotown workers received key support during their contract campaign from many loyal customers at the Hilton, including labour unions, progressive poltical leaders and community organizations. We encourage everyone to patronize the Hilton Metrotown.

Congratulations, Hilton Metrotown workers!

SFU food service workers ratify new contract by 100%

slide2Compass/Chartwells food service workers at Simon Fraser University made great gains today in ratifying a new union contract.  Demonstrating overwhelming support, Chartwells workers voted to ratify the new contract by 100%. In a strong show of interest, more than 80% of the total Chartwells workforce throughout the SFU campus turned out for the vote. The new contract includes solid wage gains, 100% health and dental coverage and new union rights. Chartwells food service workers at SFU work in outlets throughout the university including Tim Hortons, White Spot, Residents Dining Hall, Mackenzie Cafeteria, the DAC and C-Store. Chartwells is a division of food service contractor, Compass.

The Simon Fraser University administration is currently reviewing its contract with Compass and may be looking for a new food service contractor. UNITE HERE Local 40 union members are demanding that SFU guarantee their jobs in the event of a contractor change.

SFU, Respect Our Jobs!

doc_67More than 100 food service workers on the Simon Fraser University campus, employed by Chartwells, are at risk of losing their jobs in the next year. Many of these workers are long-time members of the SFU community. Some have worked on campus for 15 or 20 years–or more! They work in Tim Hortons, White Spot, Mackenzie Cafeteria, Residents Dining Hall, the DAC and C-Store. The average wage of a Chartwells worker is $14/hour. All of the Chartwells workers count on these jobs to support themselves and their families. They can’t afford to lose their jobs if SFU changes food service contractors.

Eileen Leung (photo at right), a 19-year cook in Mackenzie Cafe, explains why her job is important to her and her family:

“I have 4 children. My husband died when the youngest was 4 years old. My youngest is now 26. I raised my kids by myself while working at SFU. I started working weekends and nights, but now because of seniority, I work days and get to be with my family on weekends. If SFU changes the food service contractor, we need to make sure we get re-hired, keep our jobs, keep our wages.”

There are many more Chartwells workers–the majority women–who’ve made great sacrifices to support their families while working at SFU.

Yorene Yu, a cook for 19 years, working in White Spot, says:

“I came to Canada from Shanghai in 1985. I have a degree in history and worked in a historical museum in China. I like the students at SFU. I like working in the SFU environment. I’m also supporting my two kids at university. One goes to SFU, one goes to Capilano. I need job security to support my family.”