A large number of unionized workers at the Sheraton Vancouver Guildford voted in favour of strike action, and will be in a "legal strike position" at 12:45 p.m. today (July 5).
"The employer has left us with no other choice," said Unifor Western Regional Director Gavin McGarrigle. "Our members are the heart of the hotel, and after more than a year without a fair agreement, they are prepared to strike to demand respect and fair wages."
The 120 full-time and 24 part-time workers who are members of Unifor Local 3000 rejected the tentative agreement and voted "overwhelmingly in favour of strike action." The workers have been without a contract since April 2024. These workers are room attendants, banquet servers, cooks, front desk agents, restaurant servers, and maintenance workers
"Wages at the Sheraton have failed to keep up with the rising cost of living in the Lower Mainland," said Adrian Burnett, President of Unifor Local 3000. "Our members are struggling to make ends meet while working for a hotel owned by a company with deep pockets. It's unacceptable."
The hotel is owned and operated by Pacific Reach Properties, a Vancouver-based investment firm.
"The company has sub-contracted human resources and collective bargaining responsibilities to Hospitality Industrial Relations (HIR), a Vancouver-based multi-employer group that negotiates on behalf of various hotel and tourism operators in British Columbia," noted a press release from Unifor Saturday (July 5).
The unionized workers at the hotel also went on strike in May 2018.
