A tentative agreement has been reached between three Vancouver hotels and a union representing hotel employees who have been on strike since since last month.
Unite Here Local 40 says the agreement will give striking workers at the Westin Bayshore, Hyatt Regency, Pinnacle Harbourfront significant wage increases, protections against sexual harassment, and greater job security.
The deal also covers workers at the Four Seasons Vancouver.
Union spokesperson Sharan Pawa said workers, who have been striking for weeks outside the hotels, are excited to be close to reaching a deal.
“If they vote to settle this contract they’re voting for it because they’ve won what they’ve wanted which is a real change in the industry,” Pawa said.
“Changes in safety, changes in workload, job security. These are new things for the hotel industry to put in place. We’re very excited if this actually goes through.”
Pawa said the agreement will go to a vote, to be taken by striking members on Thursday.
“This is not a Unite Here Local 40 administrative team decision. This is up to our 1200 striking workers,” Pawa said.
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The union launched strike action on Sept. 19, when workers from the Westin Bayshore, Hyatt Regency and Pinnacle Harbourfront walked off the job. They were joined by workers from the Hotel Georgia three days later.
“We’ve picketed through rain and cold weather for this fight, and we feel united and strong with this tentative agreement reached,” Teresita Gonzales, a room attendant supervisor Pinnacle Habourfront, said.
At a rally the day before the tentative agreement was announced, Pawa said she wasn’t sure how long the strike would last.
“I’m not sure exactly what has changed, I mean we’ve gotten a lot of support from politicians, from the community,” she told Global News on Tuesday.
At Monday’s rally, NDP leader Jagmeet Singh joined the picket line outside the Westin Bayshore and pledged his party’s support to the striking workers.
“You know you have our full support. You’re going to keep on fighting, and you are going to win,” he told the crowd during a short speech.
Tensions between the hotels and workers continued during the strike.
On Sept. 23, the BC Labour Relations Board found the Westin Bayshore, Hyatt Regency, and Pinnacle Harbourfront breached the Labour Relations Code by hiring unauthorized workers to carry out duties normally done by those workers who were striking.
A few days later, Pawa said the hotels sued the union for making too much noise while striking outside the buildings.
Last week, the BC Federation of Labour (BCFED) called for a boycott of the the hotels in support of the hotel workers.
The B.C. Government and Service Employees’ Union (BCGEU) president Stephanie Smith announced a $3-million interest-free loan to support striking hotel workers.
The Rosewood Hotel Georgia, where workers are also represented by Unite Here Local 40, has yet to reach an agreement. Around 200 workers remain on strike there.
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