SoVote

Decentralized Democracy

House Hansard - 208

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
June 7, 2023 02:00PM
Context: House Hansard - 208 - Jun/7/23
Ms. Jenny Kwan (Vancouver East, NDP)
  • Jun/7/23 2:22:07 p.m.
  • Watch
Mr. Speaker, the hotel workers of Radisson Blu, formerly Pacific Gateway, held a rally on the two-year anniversary of the beginning of their strike, the longest strike ever in this industry. The employer used COVID-19 as an excuse and terminated 143 racialized women, or 70% of its workers. Some had worked there for over 40 years. They are the backbone of the hotel. Let us not kid ourselves. The employer wanted new workers because those workers would be at the bottom of the wage grid. The owner wanted to turn a bigger profit at the expense of the workers. This is the same owner who received $33 million in federal contracts for a COVID quarantine facility. It is shameful. The Canadian Labour Congress and the BC Federation of Labour have issued a boycott of the hotel. I ask all members of the House to stand with the Unite Here Local 40 workers and their call to hire back the workers and agree to a fair contract.
168 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border