Campaign Research Internship Opportunity

UNITE HERE Local 40 is seeking a FULL-TIME PAID INTERN to conduct corporate and industry research and analysis to carry out campaigns focused on winning economic justice for BC’s hospitality workers. UNITE HERE Local 40 is B.C.’s hospitality workers’ union and is leading the fight to organize the unorganized and at the forefront of campaigns for workers’ rights and quality jobs.

We represent thousands of hospitality workers working in hotels, foodservice, remote resource camps, airports, and other venues across the province. We have a diverse membership that includes workers from many immigrant communities, and the majority of our members are women. We are affiliated with UNITE HERE, a progressive labour union, representing 300,000 hospitality workers across North America.

Responsibilities include:

  • Conduct company, industry and real estate research using a wide variety of online and offline sources
  • Develop, write and present analysis to be adapted for various audiences (e.g. internal and external)
  • Outreach and communication with a variety of audiences including progressive organizations, industry representatives, customers, policy makers, and elected officials
  • Develop and carry out campaign strategies and tactics
  • Work with UNITE HERE members, organizers, staff and elected leaders; assist in moving campaigns forward through supporting and leading actions, as needed.

Qualifications include:

  • Passion and commitment to winning social and economic justice through organizing, demonstrated through experience with progressive/activist campaigns
  • BA degree or relevant research and/or activist experience
  • Excellent writing skills
  • Strong analytical skills
  • Willingness to work long and irregular hours
  • Proficient with database and word processing software
  • Ability to learn quickly, work well on a team, and handle multiple projects and tight deadlines
  • Driver’s license.

The internship requires a minimum commitment of three months. Women and people of color are strongly encouraged to apply.

Location: Vancouver, BC

Contact: Interested applicants should submit a cover letter, resume with references, and a writing sample to mtravis@unitehere.org.

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Press Release: Burnaby City Council Passes Motion, Vows Not to Support Events or Promote Any Business with Hilton Vancouver Metrotown

Vancouver, BC — Today, Burnaby City Council passed a motion to support locked out Hilton Metrotown hotel workers and called for a return to their jobs as business recovers. Dozens of Hilton Metrotown workers, represented by UNITE HERE Local 40, rallied at City Hall before Council convened. The hotel locked out room attendants, front desk agents, banquet, and kitchen staff on April 16 after terminating 97 long-term workers. Their actions directly impact Burnaby families – 50 of the affected workers live in the municipality. The City of Burnaby is the first municipality in the province to not patronize the hotel.

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated inequalities and adversely impacted BC’s hotel workers, many of whom are women and people of colour. Hotel workers urged Council to not give business to Hilton Metrotown until terminated employees are reinstated and the labour dispute is resolved.

“I’m so happy that Burnaby City Council did the right thing and stood on the side of Hilton Metrotown workers. At a time like this, we need our elected officials to do more to protect workers’ jobs. My son was 5 when I started working at Hilton. He’s 19 years old now. I helped support my family with this job. We shouldn’t lose what we’ve worked so hard for just because of the pandemic,” said Jaswinder Bassi, a laid-off room attendant and Burnaby resident who has worked at the hotel for almost 15 years.

“I’m pleased that the Mayor and Council decided to pass the motion and support us. Burnaby City Council sent a strong message today that hotel workers deserve the right to return to their jobs when business recovers. Hilton Metrotown workers made this hotel successful for over 20 years and we are determined to fight until we get our jobs back,” said Sergio Moyer, a front desk supervisor and Burnaby resident who has worked at the hotel since it opened.

Since the lockout, workers have set up a picket line and are demonstrating daily outside the hotel. Union customers, including BCGEU, BCTF, MoveUP, HEU, PSAC-BC, and UFCW 1518, have vowed not to patronize the hotel until Hilton Metrotown guarantees workers can return to their jobs, rather than be replaced, when the COVID-19 crisis is over.

At a time when the province is providing $120 million in new money to aid economic recovery in the tourism sector, Hilton Metrotown is using the pandemic to terminate long-term workers and permanently roll back economic gains made by women and people of colour who have long served the hotel. Hotel workers are urging elected officials at all levels of government to do more to support economically vulnerable workers hardest hit by the COVID-19 crisis.

#BCUnequalWomen

https://www.bcunequalwomen.org/bc-travel-alert/

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

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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 Workers to Call on Burnaby City Council to Not Spend City Money at Hilton Metrotown

Rally to be held at Burnaby City Hall on Monday

WHAT: Locked out Hilton Metrotown hotel workers will hold a rally at Burnaby City Hall next Monday urging Council to adopt a motion to not spend City money at the hotel. Hilton Metrotown locked out room attendants, front desk agents, banquet, and kitchen staff on April 16 after terminating 97 long-term staff. The hotel’s actions directly impact Burnaby working families – 50 of the affected workers live in the municipality. The workers are represented by UNITE HERE Local 40.

WHO: Hilton Metrotown hotel workers and community allies

WHEN: 4:30 PM PT, Monday, April 26, 2021

WHERE: Burnaby City Hall, 4949 Canada Way, Burnaby, BC

WHY: The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated inequalities and adversely impacted BC’s hotel workers, the majority of whom are women and people of colour. Hotel workers are urging Council to adopt a motion that the City will not hold, sponsor, or participate in any events held at Hilton Metrotown, nor reimburse city staff for attending events at the hotel, until terminated employees are reinstated and the labour dispute is resolved.

The motion also calls on the City to not accommodate any staff, contractors, or other persons on City business during the labour dispute, and that the City immediately inform all staff, contractors, and other affected persons that it will not reimburse expenses incurred on City business at the Hilton Metrotown during the labour dispute.

Since the lockout, workers have set up a picket line and are demonstrating daily outside the hotel. Earlier this month, large union customers, including BCGEU, BCTF, MoveUP, HEU, and PSAC-BC vowed not to patronize the hotel until Hilton Metrotown guarantees workers can return to their jobs, rather than be replaced, when the COVID-19 crisis is over.

At a time when the province is providing $120 million in new money to aid economic recovery in the tourism sector, Hilton Metrotown is using the pandemic to terminate long-term workers and permanently roll back economic gains made by women and people of colour who have long served the hotel. Hotel workers are urging elected officials at all levels of government to do more to support economically vulnerable workers hardest hit by the COVID-19 crisis.

#BCUnequalWomen

https://www.bcunequalwomen.org/bc-travel-alert/

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

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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.

Press Release: Workers Locked Out at Hilton Metrotown

For Immediate Release                                                                                                                                            Contact: Michelle Travis, mtravis@unitehere.org, 778-960-9785

Vancouver, BC – Hotel workers at Hilton Metrotown were locked out late Thursday night.  The labour dispute comes over the employers’ refusal to commit to return 97 long-term workers back to their jobs as business recovers.  The lockout impacts all Hilton Metrotown workers including room attendants, front desk agents, laundry attendants, kitchen staff and other hourly workers. The workers are represented by UNITE HERE Local 40.

The hotel has refused to negotiate over enhanced job security for workers during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.  Instead, the hotel terminated 97 long-term staff in recent weeks rather than commit to bring them back when jobs become available again. Management has indicated that more firings are likely if workers have been out of work for more than 12 months.  Other hotel employers, like Rosewood Hotel Georgia, Hyatt Regency, Westin Bayshore and Pinnacle Harbourfront, have committed to retain long-term staff during the crisis rather than fire them.

During a temporary crisis, Hilton Metrotown wants to permanently eliminate living wage jobs and replace them at minimum wage, eliminate workload protections, and take away workers’ current medical and pension benefits.  The hotel’s actions largely impact women and people of colour already bearing the brunt of the pandemic.

“Hilton Metrotown is taking women and racialized workers hostage in order to impose permanent changes during the pandemic.  When workers refused to accept management’s plan to get rid of their co-workers, the hotel fired them and locked out the rest.  This hotel wants to undermine the economic security of women and immigrant workers who put this hotel on the map.  We won’t let them get away with that,” said Zailda Chan, President of UNITE HERE Local 40.

“It is truly disheartening that hotel management has chosen to lock us out instead of working with us to get through the pandemic.  The lengths at which Hilton Metrotown will go to destroy the good jobs we built over twenty years of working together is unacceptable,” said Sergio Moyer, a locked-out front desk supervisor who has worked at the hotel since it opened.

The hotel is owned by DSDL Canada Investments, a subsidiary of South Korean-based DSDL Co., and operated by Crescent Hotels & Resorts which is headquartered in the U.S.

#UnequalWomen

https://www.bcunequalwomen.org/bc-travel-alert/

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