More than 140 hotel workers at the Sheraton Vancouver Guildford hotel in Surrey began strike action Saturday after failing to reach a collective agreement with their employer.
Unifor Local 3000 members at the hotel have been without a contract since April 2024, according to a the Unifor website. After more than a year of bargaining, workers voted to reject a tentative agreement, and began legal strike action at 5:30 p.m. Saturday (July 5).
Our members deserve better and are trying to catch up,” said Unifor national president Lana Payne in the online statement.
“These workers kept the doors open during some of the most challenging years in hospitality. Now, they’re standing together to demand better wages in the face of a skyrocketing cost of living in the Lower Mainland. This strike is about fairness, respect, and economic justice.”
Unifor western regional director Gavin McGarrigle said said the union's members are "done waiting for a fair deal."
"They’re taking a stand not just for themselves, but for all hospitality workers who deserve better pay and respect on the job," McGarrigle said in the Unifor post.
Unifor Local 3000 represents 120 full-time and 24 part-time workers at the hotel, including room attendants, front desk staff, banquet servers, kitchen workers, and maintenance workers.
The union says it remains open to productive talks but warns the strike will continue until a fair deal is on the table, the online post noted.
The unionized workers at the hotel also went on strike in May 2018.
