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Fairmont Empress Hotel employees prepare for strike, demand safer working conditions

Employees at a notable hotel in downtown Victoria are set to strike if negotiations don’t yield acceptable results.

According to the union, Unifor Local 4276, a “lack of progress” from the Fairmont Empress Hotel has forced members to give their bargaining committee a strike mandate.

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Members voted 97% in favour of job action if negotiations do not produce a satisfactory result. No strike deadline has been set, and the union is required to give 72 hours notice of job action.

“The Fairmont Empress is a top-tier hotel and its workers deserve respect and fair compensation. It is a leader in the industry and we expect the collective agreement to lead the way,” said Lana Payne, Unifor National President.

“The employer must come to the table prepared to bargain for a fair contract that reflects the critical contribution of hotel workers.”

Unifor says it is prioritizing wages and housekeeping workloads in negotiations, and that injuries on the job can be a common result of “unrealistic work assignments.”

The union added that a workplace survey they conducted showed that predominantly women and people of colour reported often being afraid to report injuries or ask for help.

Under current conditions, staff retention is a struggle for many hotels. One labour market report shows the hospitality and tourism workforce has declined though staff cuts and layoffs since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. For every 1.6 permanent employees, one was laid off. And, of those who were laid off, roughly one third did not return.

“BC has built a world-renowned tourism industry around a solid hospitality sector led by facilities like the Fairmont Empress. A fair contract will ensure hotel workers at a key site in the capital will earn a fair wage and improve workplace health and safety,” said Gavin McGarrigle, Unifor Western Regional Director.



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