Over 1200 hospitality workers in 14 cities could be locked out as early as Friday, April 30
Vancouver, BC — UNITE HERE Local 40 held a press conference today to address a 72-hour lockout notice issued by Hospitality Industrial Relations (HIR), an employer group representing 32 hotels, motels, and liquor stores across BC. Over 1,200 hospitality workers and their families in 14 communities will be affected if the lockout goes into effect. Hospitality employers are refusing to commit to retain their workers—mostly women and people of colour who served their hotels for years—to get through the COVID-19 crisis.
UNITE HERE Local 40 has called on HIR to jointly request mediation and find a path forward to address the impact of the pandemic on hospitality workers and their employers.
The lockout notice comes just as the Province announced they will provide an additional $25 million in ‘circuit breaker’ grants to the hotel industry, on top of $120 million announced last week to aid the economic recovery of the tourism sector.
Without a commitment to return workers to their jobs when the COVID crisis is over, more hospitality workers will be terminated. Mass pandemic firings have been used as a threat to roll back decades of economic gains. Two weeks ago, Hilton Vancouver Metrotown locked out hotel workers after firing 97 long-term staff. These attacks on workers, primarily women and racialized workers, prompted the hotel workers union to launch the “Unequal Women” campaign to call attention to hotels that refuse to guarantee workers the right to return to their jobs as the industry recovers.
Jan Budd, a kitchen helper for 30 years at Holiday Inn & Suites Vancouver Downtown, said: “What my hotel and others in BC are doing is immoral. They aren’t respecting our years of service. Instead, they want to get rid of many of us, cut costs, and roll back our economic gains. If my hotel locks me out, it will be a big financial burden. I’m barely getting by with the few shifts I’m working now. I’m 61 and I don’t want to start all over again at minimum wage.”
Fe Taala Casas, a room attendant for 26 years at Inn at the Quay in New Westminster, said: “What did we do to deserve this? I can’t imagine what will happen if I have no work. I support my daughter who’s in college and still lives with me. We’re all working families. We just want our jobs to be there for us when it’s time to go back to work. Do they really want women like me to go back and start all over again? We won’t accept this. We have no choice but to fight back.”
Hospitality workers in these communities are affected by the lockout threat: Vancouver, Victoria, Coquitlam, Richmond, New Westminster, Abbotsford, Harrison Hot Springs, Kamloops, Castlegar, Fort St. John, Port Alberni, Mackenzie, Prince Rupert, and Fort St. John.
CONTACT: Stephanie Fung, [email protected], 604-928-7356; or Michelle Travis, [email protected], 778-960-9785
#BCUnequalWomen
www.bcunequalwomen.org/bc-travel-alert/
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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.
Job Opportunity: Administrative Assistant
UNITE HERE Local 40 is hiring an Admin Assistant!
UNITE HERE Local 40 is the voice of 50,000 hospitality workers across British Columbia. They are housekeepers, bellmen, food servers, cooks, dishwashers, bartenders and many other employees in the tourism and food service industries.
Local 40 has a proud history of community involvement and a strong commitment to improving working conditions, wages, and benefits for all workers.
Local 40 is presently seeking an Administrative Assistant. This position reports to the Office Director and is a probationary term leading to a permanent position.
Description: ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
Job Responsibilities (include but are not limited to the following):
Job Requirements/Qualifications: The requirements listed below represent the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.
Please submit a resume and references, along with a cover letter, to Paul Voykin at [email protected] with “Administrative Assistant Application” in the subject line. Please include your available start date in the cover letter. Position is available immediately.
PRESS RELEASE: Hospitality Employers Threaten to Lock Out 1,200 Workers Across BC; Disproportionately Hurts Women, Racialized Workers
Over 1200 hospitality workers in 14 cities could be locked out as early as Friday, April 30
Vancouver, BC — UNITE HERE Local 40 held a press conference today to address a 72-hour lockout notice issued by Hospitality Industrial Relations (HIR), an employer group representing 32 hotels, motels, and liquor stores across BC. Over 1,200 hospitality workers and their families in 14 communities will be affected if the lockout goes into effect. Hospitality employers are refusing to commit to retain their workers—mostly women and people of colour who served their hotels for years—to get through the COVID-19 crisis.
UNITE HERE Local 40 has called on HIR to jointly request mediation and find a path forward to address the impact of the pandemic on hospitality workers and their employers.
The lockout notice comes just as the Province announced they will provide an additional $25 million in ‘circuit breaker’ grants to the hotel industry, on top of $120 million announced last week to aid the economic recovery of the tourism sector.
Without a commitment to return workers to their jobs when the COVID crisis is over, more hospitality workers will be terminated. Mass pandemic firings have been used as a threat to roll back decades of economic gains. Two weeks ago, Hilton Vancouver Metrotown locked out hotel workers after firing 97 long-term staff. These attacks on workers, primarily women and racialized workers, prompted the hotel workers union to launch the “Unequal Women” campaign to call attention to hotels that refuse to guarantee workers the right to return to their jobs as the industry recovers.
Jan Budd, a kitchen helper for 30 years at Holiday Inn & Suites Vancouver Downtown, said: “What my hotel and others in BC are doing is immoral. They aren’t respecting our years of service. Instead, they want to get rid of many of us, cut costs, and roll back our economic gains. If my hotel locks me out, it will be a big financial burden. I’m barely getting by with the few shifts I’m working now. I’m 61 and I don’t want to start all over again at minimum wage.”
Fe Taala Casas, a room attendant for 26 years at Inn at the Quay in New Westminster, said: “What did we do to deserve this? I can’t imagine what will happen if I have no work. I support my daughter who’s in college and still lives with me. We’re all working families. We just want our jobs to be there for us when it’s time to go back to work. Do they really want women like me to go back and start all over again? We won’t accept this. We have no choice but to fight back.”
Hospitality workers in these communities are affected by the lockout threat: Vancouver, Victoria, Coquitlam, Richmond, New Westminster, Abbotsford, Harrison Hot Springs, Kamloops, Castlegar, Fort St. John, Port Alberni, Mackenzie, Prince Rupert, and Fort St. John.
CONTACT: Stephanie Fung, [email protected], 604-928-7356; or Michelle Travis, [email protected], 778-960-9785
#BCUnequalWomen
www.bcunequalwomen.org/bc-travel-alert/
###
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 Conference: 1,200 BC Hotel Workers Served 72-Hour Lockout Notice; UNITE HERE Local 40 to Address Hotel Industry Lockout Threat
Over 1200 hospitality workers could be locked out this Friday, April 30
Vancouver, BC — UNITE HERE Local 40 will host a press conference today, Thursday April 29, to address a 72-hour lockout notice issued by Hospitality Industrial Relations, an employer group representing 32 hotels, motels, and liquor stores across BC. Over 1,200 hospitality workers and their families in 14 communities will be affected. Hotel employers are refusing to commit to retain their workers – mostly women and people of colour who served their hotels for years – to get through the COVID-19 crisis. The lockout notice comes just as the Province announced they will provide an additional $25 million in ‘circuit breaker’ grants to hotel operators – on top of $120 million announced last week to aid the economic recovery of the tourism sector.
WHO: Robert Demand, Executive Director, UNITE HERE Local 40, and affected hotel members.
WHEN: Thursday, April 29, 2021
TIME: 12:30 PM Pacific Time
WHERE: Via Zoom; RSVP at https://unitehere-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_y3ByRbH2SlGYmsnHGfsZ1Q
CONTACT: Stephanie Fung, [email protected], 604-928-7356; or Michelle Travis, [email protected], 778-960-9785
#BCUnequalWomen
https://www.bcunequalwomen.org/bc-travel-alert/
###
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.
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:
Qualifications include:
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 [email protected].
Protected: Documents for Membership Meeting