Harrison/Vancouver — Workers at Harrison Hot Springs Resort have voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action, with over 96% voting yes. The workers are members of UNITE HERE Local 40.
From the union media release:
With inflation heating up again, resort staff, including hotel room attendants, front desk agents, servers, cooks, dishwashers, spa staff, and others, are calling for fair wages, fair scheduling, medical benefit improvements, banquet tip transparency, and a decent pension. Guests can pay over $300 a night to stay, yet workers have not had a raise in a year.
The workers’ collective agreement expired in May. The Union filed a bad faith bargaining charge after the company failed to respond to requests to bargain in February. The Union and the company have held several bargaining dates and will resume negotiations this week.
During the pandemic, workers put their health and safety on the line to keep the hotel running. They agreed to modest wage increases and limited concessions on overtime and vacations to meet the challenges of the public health crisis. However, the resort experienced a rebound in leisure travel much sooner than the province’s urban hotel markets and continues to have a bustling business.
Harrison Hot Springs Resort is owned by Aldesta Hotel Group, a subsidiary of Salience Global Holdings. Last year, Aldesta acquired the Fairmont Hot Springs Resort for $40 million.
