Victoria, B.C. — After a historic 77 days on the picket line, through wind, rain, and a record-breaking tourist season, UNITE HERE Local 40 members at Coast Victoria Hotel & Marina by APA, have ratified a new collective agreement that delivers wage increases of up to 21% for hotel staff, marking a major victory for workers. The workers’ dispute with Coast Victoria and its owner, APA Group, represents the longest hotel strike and lockout in Victoria’s history.
Nearly 90 workers – housekeepers, front-desk agents, cooks, servers, and others – voted 88% in favour of a new three-year contract that provides living wages, a wage re-opener in the final contract year, a process for addressing outstanding respect issues, and a new pension benefit, bringing the city’s longest hotel strike and lockout to a close.
“I’m so proud of our bargaining committee and what we accomplished together as a group,” said Melissa Irvine, a room attendant and member of the union bargaining committee. “We stood strong, and no one crossed the picket line. The strike and the lockout were both intense and difficult, but we didn’t give up. We fought to the end to win what we deserve.”
The lockout began after workers took strike actions, supported by over 90% of the workers, seeking living wages and better working conditions during Victoria’s most profitable tourist season in years. Rather than back down, workers turned the hotel’s front steps into a symbol of courage and determination – drawing support from community members, local unions, and elected officials.
“We stood shoulder to shoulder for 77 days – and made history. I’m very proud that we fought back and pushed as far as we could,” said Julia Lissell, a front desk agent and another member of the union bargaining committee. “Through the ups and downs, we demonstrated what is possible when workers come together to stand up for fair pay and respect at work.”
The workers’ fight spread beyond Victoria to Calgary and Chilliwack, where the hotel’s parent company APA Group operates other Coast Hotels. Supporters joined workers to rally in both cities and urged customers to support fair treatment of hospitality workers.
The BC Federation of Labour backed the workers with a boycott of Coast Victoria Hotel and its Blue Crab Seafood House, which will now be lifted following ratification of the new deal. Customers are encouraged to return to Coast Victoria and the restaurant.
http://www.uniteherelocal40.org/wp-content/uploads/local40logo-300x155.png00Michelle Travishttp://www.uniteherelocal40.org/wp-content/uploads/local40logo-300x155.pngMichelle Travis2025-11-05 09:46:172025-11-05 09:46:17Press Release: Coast Victoria Hotel Workers Win Historic Fight, Secure Major Wage Gains and End of Lockout
Vancouver, BC – SFU dining workers and their campus allies will be holding a demonstration on Wednesday, November 5, to demand the University become a permanent living wage employer. SFU committed to paying living wages to contracted dining workers in the past, but the workers are paid considerably less than the Metro Vancouver living wage of $27.05 per hour. At the same time, SFU’s top four executives have received total compensation increases ranging from $38,000 to over $89,000 since 2023, on top of their six-figure salaries.
The contracted workers, employed by Compass Group, began negotiations in January in advance of the expiry of their collective agreement in April. The workers are members of UNITE HERE Local 40.
WHAT: Protest and March at SFU Burnaby Campus
WHEN: TODAY – Wednesday, November 5
TIME: Action begins at 10:30AM
WHERE: Strand Hall, E Campus Rd., Burnaby, BC.
VISUALS: Workers, students, and faculty carrying colourful signs, holding flags, marching and chanting.
http://www.uniteherelocal40.org/wp-content/uploads/local40logo-300x155.png00Michelle Travishttp://www.uniteherelocal40.org/wp-content/uploads/local40logo-300x155.pngMichelle Travis2025-11-05 09:42:102025-11-05 09:42:10Media Advisory: SFU Dining Workers to Hold Demonstration and March for Living Wages
Vancouver, BC – Workers at the Georgian Court Hotel in downtown Vancouver have voted to join UNITE HERE Local 40, the hospitality union representing hotel, food service, and airport workers across British Columbia.
Fifty housekeepers and front desk agents at the Georgian Court chose to unionize to address key concerns around heavy workloads, fair wages, and access to quality health benefits.
Negotiations for the Georgian Court workers’ first union contract will begin soon. Local 40 aims to ensure these workers secure the strong standards that have been achieved at other union hotels in Vancouver.
“We’re proud to welcome the Georgian Court workers to our union family,” said Gulzar Grewal, Vice President of UNITE HERE Local 40. “Hotel workers across the city are standing up for better standards in the industry. By joining Local 40, Georgian Court workers are taking an important step toward winning fair wages and workloads that respect their hard work.”
The Georgian Court Hotel joins a growing movement of hospitality workers organizing for change. Recently, workers at Hyatt Alberni (formerly Shangri-La) and the Marriott Vancouver Airport in Richmond also joined Local 40.
UNITE HERE Local 40 advocates for 50,000 BC hospitality workers in British Columbia, including hotel, airport, and camp workers for fair wages, secure jobs, and strong workplace rights.
http://www.uniteherelocal40.org/wp-content/uploads/local40logo-300x155.png00Michelle Travishttp://www.uniteherelocal40.org/wp-content/uploads/local40logo-300x155.pngMichelle Travis2025-10-30 11:17:022025-10-30 11:17:02Georgian Court Hotel Workers Unionize with Local 40, Joining Growing Wave of Hotel Organizing in BC
Vancouver, BC — Hotel workers locked-out by Coast Victoria Hotel & Marina by APA held a protest downtown yesterday outside the Coast Calgary Downtown Hotel & Suites by APA, calling on the company to end its lockout in Victoria and negotiate a fair contract that provides living wages, safe workloads, and respect on the job.
The rally marked an escalation in the workers’ fight for better treatment, with Calgary-based members of UNITE HERE Local 40, the Calgary District Labour Council, and other allies joining the protest in solidarity.
Nearly 90 Coast Victoria workers have been locked out since September 17 after standing up for fair pay and working conditions that reflect the rising cost of living. Instead of working toward a resolution, the hotel chose to punish workers for demanding better working conditions.
“After everything we’ve given to this company, Coast and APA locked us out instead of addressing our concerns,” said Melissa Irvine, a locked-out housekeeper from Coast Victoria. “We take pride in our work, but we can’t afford to live in the city where we work. We’re here in Calgary to tell Coast Hotels: if you continue to lock us out, we’ll take our fight wherever you operate.”
As part of their visit to Calgary, locked-out workers stopped at the Consulate-General of Japan to speak with a staff representative and deliver a copy of their public flyer, which highlights the connection between the APA Group chairman’s extremist ideology and the company’s mistreatment of workers in Canada.
“Coast’s owner, APA Group, a multibillion-dollar foreign corporation, is kicking Canadian workers to the curb. Coast Victoria workers are asking for what all workers deserve – living wages and safe workloads,” said Zailda Chan, President of UNITE HERE Local 40. “Instead of retaliation, the company should do the right thing. End the lockout and settle a fair contract now.”
Coast Hotels is a subsidiary of Tokyo-based APA Hotel Group which owns Coast Calgary and Coast Victoria. APA Group has stoked controversy in the past over statements made by its founder and chairman – an ultranationalist Japanese billionaire who has used his hotel properties to spread revisionist history and anti-Semitic tropes.
http://www.uniteherelocal40.org/wp-content/uploads/local40logo-300x155.png00Michelle Travishttp://www.uniteherelocal40.org/wp-content/uploads/local40logo-300x155.pngMichelle Travis2025-10-24 13:13:342025-10-24 13:13:34Media Release: Locked-Out Coast Victoria Workers Take Fight to Calgary
UNITE HERE Local 40, BC’s union for hospitality workers, is seeking a Community / Political Organizer to build power for hospitality workers. We are committed to developing rank-and-file leadership, organizing the unorganized, and to building a strong, fighting labour union. Candidates must demonstrate a commitment to working for social justice through a strong labour movement. The successful applicant we are looking for is driven, courageous, open to feedback, hard working, and a fighter with a deep commitment to social change. The position entails irregular hours including work in the evenings and weekends.
Job Duties & Skills:
Excellent communication and verbal skills in order to move workers and allies to take
collective action and build power.
Excellent interpersonal and teamwork skills.
Identify and meet with worker leaders to recruit and train them as leaders for community
campaigns.
Motivate and inspire union members; engage them in political education and direct
lobbying and actions.
Plan, develop, implement, and evaluate recruitment strategies including policies,
programs, and procedures.
Represent UNITE HERE’s priorities in interactions with external as well as internal
contacts at all levels of the organization.
Develop and establish member training material and sessions.
Organize and participate in meetings and demonstrations.
Frequently attend multiple distant locations within a short time span in order to meet with
workers at their homes and other sites. Many of these locations will not be easily
accessible by public transit.
Must have a valid drivers’ license and own car preferred.
This is a temporary 3-month position with possible extensions beyond that.
Job Requirements:
Passion for and commitment to fighting for worker’s rights. Ideal candidate brings 1 year of experience as a labour/union organizer, rank and file union activist, and/or experience working with the student, immigrant, LGBTQ+, and/or environmental activist communities.
Salary: $62,000 plus car allowance.
Contact:
Interested applicants should submit a cover letter and resume outlining relevant experience and including references to [email protected]. Only candidates meeting all requirements will be contacted for interviews.
Press Release: Coast Victoria Hotel Workers Win Historic Fight, Secure Major Wage Gains and End of Lockout
Victoria, B.C. — After a historic 77 days on the picket line, through wind, rain, and a record-breaking tourist season, UNITE HERE Local 40 members at Coast Victoria Hotel & Marina by APA, have ratified a new collective agreement that delivers wage increases of up to 21% for hotel staff, marking a major victory for workers. The workers’ dispute with Coast Victoria and its owner, APA Group, represents the longest hotel strike and lockout in Victoria’s history.
Nearly 90 workers – housekeepers, front-desk agents, cooks, servers, and others – voted 88% in favour of a new three-year contract that provides living wages, a wage re-opener in the final contract year, a process for addressing outstanding respect issues, and a new pension benefit, bringing the city’s longest hotel strike and lockout to a close.
“I’m so proud of our bargaining committee and what we accomplished together as a group,” said Melissa Irvine, a room attendant and member of the union bargaining committee. “We stood strong, and no one crossed the picket line. The strike and the lockout were both intense and difficult, but we didn’t give up. We fought to the end to win what we deserve.”
The lockout began after workers took strike actions, supported by over 90% of the workers, seeking living wages and better working conditions during Victoria’s most profitable tourist season in years. Rather than back down, workers turned the hotel’s front steps into a symbol of courage and determination – drawing support from community members, local unions, and elected officials.
“We stood shoulder to shoulder for 77 days – and made history. I’m very proud that we fought back and pushed as far as we could,” said Julia Lissell, a front desk agent and another member of the union bargaining committee. “Through the ups and downs, we demonstrated what is possible when workers come together to stand up for fair pay and respect at work.”
The workers’ fight spread beyond Victoria to Calgary and Chilliwack, where the hotel’s parent company APA Group operates other Coast Hotels. Supporters joined workers to rally in both cities and urged customers to support fair treatment of hospitality workers.
The BC Federation of Labour backed the workers with a boycott of Coast Victoria Hotel and its Blue Crab Seafood House, which will now be lifted following ratification of the new deal. Customers are encouraged to return to Coast Victoria and the restaurant.
Media Contact: Michelle Travis, [email protected], 778-960-9785
###
Media Advisory: SFU Dining Workers to Hold Demonstration and March for Living Wages
Vancouver, BC – SFU dining workers and their campus allies will be holding a demonstration on Wednesday, November 5, to demand the University become a permanent living wage employer. SFU committed to paying living wages to contracted dining workers in the past, but the workers are paid considerably less than the Metro Vancouver living wage of $27.05 per hour. At the same time, SFU’s top four executives have received total compensation increases ranging from $38,000 to over $89,000 since 2023, on top of their six-figure salaries.
The contracted workers, employed by Compass Group, began negotiations in January in advance of the expiry of their collective agreement in April. The workers are members of UNITE HERE Local 40.
WHAT: Protest and March at SFU Burnaby Campus
WHEN: TODAY – Wednesday, November 5
TIME: Action begins at 10:30AM
WHERE: Strand Hall, E Campus Rd., Burnaby, BC.
VISUALS: Workers, students, and faculty carrying colourful signs, holding flags, marching and chanting.
MEDIA CONTACT: Michelle Travis, [email protected], 778-960-9785
Georgian Court Hotel Workers Unionize with Local 40, Joining Growing Wave of Hotel Organizing in BC
Vancouver, BC – Workers at the Georgian Court Hotel in downtown Vancouver have voted to join UNITE HERE Local 40, the hospitality union representing hotel, food service, and airport workers across British Columbia.
Fifty housekeepers and front desk agents at the Georgian Court chose to unionize to address key concerns around heavy workloads, fair wages, and access to quality health benefits.
Negotiations for the Georgian Court workers’ first union contract will begin soon. Local 40 aims to ensure these workers secure the strong standards that have been achieved at other union hotels in Vancouver.
“We’re proud to welcome the Georgian Court workers to our union family,” said Gulzar Grewal, Vice President of UNITE HERE Local 40. “Hotel workers across the city are standing up for better standards in the industry. By joining Local 40, Georgian Court workers are taking an important step toward winning fair wages and workloads that respect their hard work.”
The Georgian Court Hotel joins a growing movement of hospitality workers organizing for change. Recently, workers at Hyatt Alberni (formerly Shangri-La) and the Marriott Vancouver Airport in Richmond also joined Local 40.
UNITE HERE Local 40 advocates for 50,000 BC hospitality workers in British Columbia, including hotel, airport, and camp workers for fair wages, secure jobs, and strong workplace rights.
Media Contact: Rifat Islam – 604 619 0798 – [email protected]
Media Release: Locked-Out Coast Victoria Workers Take Fight to Calgary
Vancouver, BC — Hotel workers locked-out by Coast Victoria Hotel & Marina by APA held a protest downtown yesterday outside the Coast Calgary Downtown Hotel & Suites by APA, calling on the company to end its lockout in Victoria and negotiate a fair contract that provides living wages, safe workloads, and respect on the job.
The rally marked an escalation in the workers’ fight for better treatment, with Calgary-based members of UNITE HERE Local 40, the Calgary District Labour Council, and other allies joining the protest in solidarity.
Nearly 90 Coast Victoria workers have been locked out since September 17 after standing up for fair pay and working conditions that reflect the rising cost of living. Instead of working toward a resolution, the hotel chose to punish workers for demanding better working conditions.
“After everything we’ve given to this company, Coast and APA locked us out instead of addressing our concerns,” said Melissa Irvine, a locked-out housekeeper from Coast Victoria. “We take pride in our work, but we can’t afford to live in the city where we work. We’re here in Calgary to tell Coast Hotels: if you continue to lock us out, we’ll take our fight wherever you operate.”
As part of their visit to Calgary, locked-out workers stopped at the Consulate-General of Japan to speak with a staff representative and deliver a copy of their public flyer, which highlights the connection between the APA Group chairman’s extremist ideology and the company’s mistreatment of workers in Canada.
“Coast’s owner, APA Group, a multibillion-dollar foreign corporation, is kicking Canadian workers to the curb. Coast Victoria workers are asking for what all workers deserve – living wages and safe workloads,” said Zailda Chan, President of UNITE HERE Local 40. “Instead of retaliation, the company should do the right thing. End the lockout and settle a fair contract now.”
Coast Hotels is a subsidiary of Tokyo-based APA Hotel Group which owns Coast Calgary and Coast Victoria. APA Group has stoked controversy in the past over statements made by its founder and chairman – an ultranationalist Japanese billionaire who has used his hotel properties to spread revisionist history and anti-Semitic tropes.
Media Contacts:
Michelle Travis, [email protected], 778-960-9785, or
Naya Holers, [email protected], 250-889-7682
Community / Political Organizer (Temporary 3-Month Position)
UNITE HERE Local 40, BC’s union for hospitality workers, is seeking a Community / Political Organizer to build power for hospitality workers. We are committed to developing rank-and-file leadership, organizing the unorganized, and to building a strong, fighting labour union. Candidates must demonstrate a commitment to working for social justice through a strong labour movement. The successful applicant we are looking for is driven, courageous, open to feedback, hard working, and a fighter with a deep commitment to social change. The position entails irregular hours including work in the evenings and weekends.
Job Duties & Skills:
collective action and build power.
campaigns.
lobbying and actions.
programs, and procedures.
contacts at all levels of the organization.
workers at their homes and other sites. Many of these locations will not be easily
accessible by public transit.
This is a temporary 3-month position with possible extensions beyond that.
Job Requirements:
Passion for and commitment to fighting for worker’s rights. Ideal candidate brings 1 year of experience as a labour/union organizer, rank and file union activist, and/or experience working with the student, immigrant, LGBTQ+, and/or environmental activist communities.
Salary: $62,000 plus car allowance.
Contact:
Interested applicants should submit a cover letter and resume outlining relevant experience and including references to [email protected]. Only candidates meeting all requirements will be contacted for interviews.