Thursday, July 16, 2020 at 12pET/9aPT
Contact: Meghan Cohorst, [email protected], 239-503-1533
Click here to register in advance
Hospitality workers union UNITE HERE Canada to detail state of Canadian hospitality industry, call for implementation of essential recommendations for a safe and successful return to work
UNITE HERE Canada will host a video press conference on state of Canadian hospitality and steps necessary to ensure a safe and successful return to work. Union members and leadership will share their personal experiences, concerns about upcoming changes to CEWS and CERB, and recommendations, including a perspective on lessons to be learned from reopening experience in the U.S.
WHEN: Thursday, July 16 at 12:00pm ET / 9:00am PT
WHERE: Register for access information here:
https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_GMcMjMhIRbmOwtBjdJ8aVQ
WHO:
- UNITE HERE members working in the hotel industry in British Columbia and Ontario
- Ian Robb, UNITE HERE Canadian Director
- Nia Winston, UNITE HERE Local 24 President, Detroit, MI USA
WHY: Canadian hospitality workers—including more than 18,000 represented by the six UNITE HERE locals in British Columbia, Ontario, Saskatchewan, and Alberta —were among the first and hardest hit by the economic impact of COVID-19. Over 90% of hospitality workers in the country’s hotels, airports, stadiums, universities, schools, and remote resource camps have been laid off since March.
Analysts predict that the industry may not fully recover until Summer 2022, leading to fewer available jobs, extended periods of unemployment, and uncertainty for tens of thousands of Canadian workers and their families. Putting workers at the center of the recovery is key for preventing a second wave of COVID-19 in Canada and for restoring confidence in their return to work.
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UNITE HERE is a labour union that represents over 300,000 members working in the hotel, gaming, food service, manufacturing, textile, distribution, laundry, transportation, and airport industries in North America. UNITE HERE represents over 18,000 hotel and hospitality workers across six locals in Canada.
—
Meghan Cohorst
UNITE HERE
239-503-1533
[email protected]
Press Release: Laid-off Workers Protest against Shangri-La Hotel; Demand Action from Province to Save B.C.’s Hotel Jobs!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Thursday, July 28, 2020
Vancouver, B.C.— Workers held a protest today outside the high-end Shangri-La Vancouver over mass firings of laid-off staff at the hotel. Protesters demanded action from the province to ensure laid-off workers have the legal right to return to their jobs as business recovers. While the tourism industry recently asked for a $680 million industry bailout from the government, provincial leaders have yet to enact measures that will give 50,000 laid-off hospitality workers the right of first return to their jobs.
The Shangri-La is co-owned by Westbank and Peterson Investments, both major Vancouver developers.
Last month, Premier Horgan encouraged employers to keep their workforce intact. He said the legislature would take steps to protect workers if they needed to do so. Shangri-La joins the Pan Pacific Hotel as the latest example of an employer taking advantage of the pandemic to eliminate its long-time workforce during the crisis. Dozens of laid-off workers have been terminated by the owners of the Shangri-La Hotel and Pan Pacific in recent weeks.
KM Chan, formerly laid-off server assistant at Shangri-La Hotel Vancouver
“I don’t understand why they had to terminate us. Why couldn’t they just leave us on lay-off so we would have jobs to return to after the pandemic? I have co-workers that relied on this job to obtain their permanent residency and were close to getting their PR status, but with these unfair terminations they will lose everything they worked so hard for and could be forced to leave the country.”
Rajini Fjani, formerly laid-off room attendant at the Pan Pacific Hotel
“Those of us who were fired may be replaced by temporary workers earning minimum wage. My co-workers who remain employed are told they must sign away their years of service to become casual, on-call workers, and waive their severance rights. Otherwise, they will be fired. The Province needs to act now to protect workers and make sure we have jobs to go back to when business improves.”
Zailda Chan, President of UNITE HERE Local 40
“While the province considers a $680 million bailout of the tourism sector, will they make sure 50,000 laid-off hotel workers have the legal right to go back to their jobs as business improves? What is happening at the Shangri-La and the Pan Pacific is what lies ahead for tens of thousands of hotel workers across B.C. today. The province must act quickly to protect laid-off workers who stayed home to protect public health; now we need the province to help them get their jobs back as the industry recovers.
Contacts: Stephanie Fung, 604-928-7356, [email protected]; or Michelle Travis, 778-960-9785, [email protected]
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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: Protest to be held at Shangri-La Hotel; Laid-off Workers Say No Bailout for Tourism Sector without Job Protection!
Vancouver, B.C.— Today, hotel workers plan to protest mass terminations at the luxury Shangri-La Hotel and demand laid-off workers need the legal right to return to their jobs as business recovers. While the provincial government considers whether to grant the tourism industry a $680 million bailout, laid-off hospitality workers across B.C. are being fired because they lack legal protection to eventually return to their jobs. Over 50,000 B.C. hospitality workers were laid off in March due to the pandemic, but the province has yet to enact measures that compel hotel owners – like Ian Gillespie’s Westbank and Peterson Investments – to keep their workforce intact.
WHO: Hotel workers, community allies from across the Lower Mainland.
WHERE: 1128 W Georgia Street, Vancouver BC
WHEN: Tuesday, July 28, 12 p.m.*
VISUALS: Hospitality workers wearing masks standing 2 metres apart, chanting and speaking with colourful banners, signs, and bullhorns.
*Media availability with UNITE HERE Local 40 president Zailda Chan and non-union hotel workers (English and Cantonese speakers available).
For additional information, please contact:
Stephanie Fung, 604-928-7356, [email protected]
-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.
Tell your MP: Adopt the 3 Essentials for Hospitality Workers Now!
Press Advisory: Statement by UNITE HERE Local 40 President re: BC tourism sector’s request for $680 million government bailout
Press Advisory
July 21, 2020
Media Contacts: Michelle Travis, 778-960-9785, [email protected];
or Stephanie Fung, 604-928-7356, [email protected]
Vancouver, BC – Statement by Zailda Chan, President of UNITE HERE Local 40:
“If BC’s tourism sector wants an extraordinary $680 million relief package from the province, then 50,000 laid-off hotel workers need a legal right to return to their jobs as hotels reopen.There is no doubt the industry and its workers have been hard-hit, but we are watching major hotel employers use the pandemic as an excuse to fire laid-off workers and undercut labour standards.Any future emergency grants or property tax relief to the sector needs to put workers first.No industry should be getting government relief without a guarantee that laid-off workers have the legal right to return to their jobs as businesses recover.”
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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 FOR NATIONAL TELEPRESS CONFERENCE for Thursday, July 16 (9amPT/Noon ET)
Thursday, July 16, 2020 at 12pET/9aPT
Contact: Meghan Cohorst, [email protected], 239-503-1533
Click here to register in advance
Hospitality workers union UNITE HERE Canada to detail state of Canadian hospitality industry, call for implementation of essential recommendations for a safe and successful return to work
UNITE HERE Canada will host a video press conference on state of Canadian hospitality and steps necessary to ensure a safe and successful return to work. Union members and leadership will share their personal experiences, concerns about upcoming changes to CEWS and CERB, and recommendations, including a perspective on lessons to be learned from reopening experience in the U.S.
WHEN: Thursday, July 16 at 12:00pm ET / 9:00am PT
WHERE: Register for access information here:
https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_GMcMjMhIRbmOwtBjdJ8aVQ
WHO:
WHY: Canadian hospitality workers—including more than 18,000 represented by the six UNITE HERE locals in British Columbia, Ontario, Saskatchewan, and Alberta —were among the first and hardest hit by the economic impact of COVID-19. Over 90% of hospitality workers in the country’s hotels, airports, stadiums, universities, schools, and remote resource camps have been laid off since March.
Analysts predict that the industry may not fully recover until Summer 2022, leading to fewer available jobs, extended periods of unemployment, and uncertainty for tens of thousands of Canadian workers and their families. Putting workers at the center of the recovery is key for preventing a second wave of COVID-19 in Canada and for restoring confidence in their return to work.
###
UNITE HERE is a labour union that represents over 300,000 members working in the hotel, gaming, food service, manufacturing, textile, distribution, laundry, transportation, and airport industries in North America. UNITE HERE represents over 18,000 hotel and hospitality workers across six locals in Canada.
—
Meghan Cohorst
UNITE HERE
239-503-1533
[email protected]