(Prince George, BC) On Thursday, April 19, hotel and food service workers from across the city converged outside the Ramada Prince George Hotel for a demonstration organized by members of UNITE HERE! Local 40. The workers were joined by several Prince George unions, campus groups, and community allies.
Ramada workers, who have been in bargaining for almost a year, protested working conditions at the hotel. They currently earn less than other unionized hotel workers in Prince George. Workers want management to address serious contract violations, a lack of adequate staffing and supplies during busy periods at the hotel, and to resolve basic issues that staff bring forward.
Unite Here Local 40 represents hundreds of workers across Prince George. In addition to the Ramada, Local 40 members are fighting for better working conditions at UNBC and Travelodge and will soon begin bargaining at Coast Inn of the North. As the cost of living continues to increase, hotel and food service workers across Prince George are joining together to build a higher standard of living in their city, one workplace at a time.
“We all face a lot of the same problems where we work, regardless of that being UNBC or the Ramada. All of us need wages that we can live on, respect in the workplace, adequate staffing levels and safe working conditions. This is why we are working together to build a movement of workers standing up for one another. This action is only the beginning of that,” said Stacey Moen, a cook at the Ramada.
Members of several area Prince George unions and local community groups joined today’s demonstration.
“Hotel and hospitality workers add real economic value to our community by providing vital services. They deserve our full support in their struggle for decent wages and benefits, and better working conditions,” said Paul Ewert from Stand Up for the North Committee.
For more information, please contact: Octavian Cadabeschi at 604-813-2105 or [email protected].
YVR: First Class Airport, Second Class Jobs
Workers behind the concession counters at Vancouver International Airport (YVR) help make this North America’s #1 airport. Workers take pride in welcoming the world to Vancouver while serving travelers a cup of coffee or a warm meal on the way to their destination.
While workers love working at YVR, too many of them are earning at, or slightly above, minimum wage, with few benefits. The work is precarious. Turnover is high and staffing is a challenge. Many workers at YVR work two, sometimes three, jobs to make ends meet. Worse, years of contract flipping has created a low-road for airport concession workers. When concession leases expire, workers stand to lose higher wages and benefits they earned during their years of service. Workers are told to reapply for work and to start over at minimum wage.
We believe YVR could become a truly sustainable community partner by adopting policies that have a positive impact on its contracted workforce. Major competing airports across the western seaboard, like SEA-TAC, SFO, LAX among others, are paying living wages to airport concession workers and have worker retention and labour peace policies that ensure a smooth transition when operators change.
We want YVR to adopt responsible contracting policies and become #1 when it comes to ensuring airport concession workers have sustainable, decent jobs.
If you agree, visit us on Facebook and “Like” our page! Or, if you are on Twitter, tweet a message to YVR: “Concession workers @yvrairport need first class jobs!”
BC Premier John Horgan visits HMSHost workers at YVR!
Local 40’s airport members made history this month! For the first time ever, the sitting BC Premier met with HMS Host workers at YVR on Thursday, June 14. Premier John Horgan heard compelling stories from our members who discussed how YVR Airport squeezes contracted workers by keeping wages low, flipping contractors, and discouraging union organizing.
We told the Premier we need YVR to commit to a $15 airport minimum wage policy now, a worker retention policy for all YVR workers, and respect for workers’ rights to form a union at YVR.
For nearly an hour, our members swapped stories with the Premier about the challenges of living in Vancouver on low wages, juggling multiple jobs, and their concerns for their future. The Premier discussed how the Province is tackling the challenge of affordability in BC and other efforts underway to make life better for British Columbians.
We look forward to working with Premier Horgan and other leaders in our community to press for change and a better future at YVR!
(Photographer: Peter Holst)
Other news:
Local 40 members and allies visit the office of YVR’s CEO, go to: https://bit.ly/2lsw7cX
Local 40 Organizing Internships & Training Opportunities
Local 40 is building a progressive alliance of workers, students and community activists by training, agitating, and inspiring people to fight for justice. We place a lot of emphasis on training and fieldwork. People learn by doing, whether it’s hearing about the real situations of working people in a house visit, doing research on a corporation, speaking truth to power on a delegation, or recruiting friends, family, or coworkers to an action. UNITE HERE is committed to inspiring people of all ages and backgrounds to join our movement.
Leadership Development Training
Learn from skilled organizers, researchers, and rank and file leaders who have committed themselves to developing their own leadership and yours.
Join us and be inspired by people like you who are rising to take up the struggle for economic and social justice!
To learn more, please contact Mike Biskar: [email protected].
Statement by Zailda Chan, BC’s First Chinese Canadian Union President, about City of Vancouver’s Official Apology for Historical Discrimination against the Chinese community
(For Chinese language version, see below)
April 20, 2018 (Vancouver, BC) – “This is a historical moment for many Chinese Canadians and especially for family like me who are descendants of Head Tax payers and Canadian railway workers.
“It is important for Vancouverites to understand and acknowledge the history of Chinese segregation and racism in Vancouver. Fairness is essential and that’s what drives my service with the union.
“Many hospitality workers of UNITE HERE Local 40 are immigrants and many of them are from China. They work under challenging and precarious conditions like long hours, heavy workloads and risk of injury yet they earn only minimum pay with no job security. They have endured much hardship to build a life here, and their contribution to the success of Vancouver’s hospitality industry is often unrecognized.
“An apology would only be meaningful if there are actions to bring changes. I long to see changes in the working and living condition of workers in the City. I want to empower them to fight for equitable jobs and respect, not only in our workplaces but also in our communities.”
溫市政府就過去歧視政策向華裔社區正式道歉
卑詩首位華裔加人工會主席陳西娜感想
April 20, 2018 (卑詩省・溫哥華) – 「對於許多華裔加人及尤其像我的家人那樣，作為人頭稅和加拿大鐵路工人的後人，這是一個歷史性時候。
讓溫哥華市民明白、認識這段華人遭受歧視及隔離的歷史十分重要。公平是必要的；這也是推動我服務工會的原因。
不少UNITE HERE 40 分會會員是移民，當中不少來自中國。他們經常在有挑戰性及危險的環境下長時間辛勞工作，卻只有最低時薪，也沒有就業保障。
一個具意義的道歉，需要配合行動帶來改變。我期待看到工人有更好的工作及生活條件。我想他們不只在工作上，在社區裡也能更有力爭取尊重及平等待遇。」
For media availability, please contact: Michelle Travis, 778-960-9785
Prince George Workers Hold Demonstration at Ramada
Ramada workers, who have been in bargaining for almost a year, protested working conditions at the hotel. They currently earn less than other unionized hotel workers in Prince George. Workers want management to address serious contract violations, a lack of adequate staffing and supplies during busy periods at the hotel, and to resolve basic issues that staff bring forward.
Unite Here Local 40 represents hundreds of workers across Prince George. In addition to the Ramada, Local 40 members are fighting for better working conditions at UNBC and Travelodge and will soon begin bargaining at Coast Inn of the North. As the cost of living continues to increase, hotel and food service workers across Prince George are joining together to build a higher standard of living in their city, one workplace at a time.
“We all face a lot of the same problems where we work, regardless of that being UNBC or the Ramada. All of us need wages that we can live on, respect in the workplace, adequate staffing levels and safe working conditions. This is why we are working together to build a movement of workers standing up for one another. This action is only the beginning of that,” said Stacey Moen, a cook at the Ramada.
Members of several area Prince George unions and local community groups joined today’s demonstration.
“Hotel and hospitality workers add real economic value to our community by providing vital services. They deserve our full support in their struggle for decent wages and benefits, and better working conditions,” said Paul Ewert from Stand Up for the North Committee.
For more information, please contact: Octavian Cadabeschi at 604-813-2105 or [email protected].