Workers at the Coast Victoria Hotel and Marina have issued 72-hour strike notice, setting the stage for what could be Victoria’s first hotel strike since the 1980s.
The notice was delivered Monday, June 23, after a public rally outside the hotel, where employees and supporters called for fair wages and respect at work.
The 90 workers, represented by UNITE HERE Local 40, voted 93 per cent in favour of strike action earlier this spring. Despite months of bargaining, the union says there’s been little progress.
“Victoria is one of the most expensive cities in the country, but Coast workers are still making far below a living wage,” said union representative Harj Aheer. “This hotel has left workers with no choice but to take a stand.”
The union says many Coast Victoria workers earn $24 to $25 per hour, which falls short of Victoria’s estimated living wage of nearly $27 per hour.
“Hotel workers in Vancouver have shown what’s possible,” Aheer said. “Victoria workers deserve no less. This fight is about fairness, dignity, and making it possible to live and work in the same city.”
UNITE HERE Local 40 represents hospitality workers across B.C., including hotel, airport, camp and food service employees.
