Hotel workers shut down Burrard Street in front of the Hyatt Regency Vancouver on July 22

On July 22, over 600 hotel workers and supporters shut down Burrard Street to protest Hyatt Corporation’s greed and cutbacks. The Vancouver workers joined hotel workers in 15 cities across North America in a series of coordinated Hyatt protests taking place on the same day.

Starting with a loud picket line on the sidewalk in front of the Hyatt Regency Vancouver at 5pm, the crowd began to grow rapidly as workers came streaming out of the Hyatt at shift end. Chanting fiercely, hotel workers from downtown Vancouver hotels were joined by Local 40 members from around the Lower Mainland, labour unions, community groups and elected leaders. Before long, a sea of more than 600 red UNITE HERE tee-shirts were picketing the entire length of the block between Georgia and Melville.

At a signal from Local 40 marshals, the red-shirts poured onto Burrard Street and brought traffic to a halt. From the opposite side of the street, 50 workers in uniform marched hand in hand across the width of Burrard, then sat down in the street, chanting, backed up by the boisterous picket line behind them that stretched around the perimeter of Burrard. A “Shame on Hyatt” banner was unfurled, drums beat, voices were raised in anger and empowerment, while pedestrians looked on with amazement.

The Vancouver hotel workers’ first civil disobedience action was a spectacular success, delivering a loud and dramatic message to Hyatt Corporation that workers can’t be pushed around or pushed out while wealthy global corporations keep increasing their profits.

UNITE HERE Local 40 members had amazing support from labour unions and community groups at the July 22 action. Sisters and brothers from CAW, HEU, CUPE, COPE 378, BC Ferryworkers, ILWU, Building Trades, VDLC, BC Fed, PWC, Migrante, CCPA, First Call and many other organizations provided vital solidarity to the Hyatt protesters. Thank you all!!

Hotel workers have endured staff cuts, reduced hours and excessive injury rates. Hyatt wants to take more away and lock workers into recession contracts even as the economy recovers.

Thousands of hotel workers across North America are standing up to people like the Pritzkers, the billionaire family who run Hyatt. On July 22, workers in Vancouver and 15 other cities will be taking it to the streets in a historic coordinated protest. Hotel workers are making a fair demand.

Join Vancouver hotel workers and supporters at the Hyatt Regency Vancouver tomorrow July 22 at 5pm, and deliver a message to Hyatt: hotel workers deserve fair treatment, respect, safe jobs and the security to provide for their families.

For more information on the protest: 604-473-4815

Hotel workers in Vancouver along with 50,000 workers in 15 cities across North America are fighting global Hyatt Corporation’s attempts to hurt workers. Join Hyatt workers in a historic protest on July 22 at 5:00pm at the Hyatt Regency Vancouver and be part of the movement for justice and respect.

Hyatt Corporation is owned by American billionaires, the Pritzker family. Worth $5.5 billion and with $1.3 billion in the bank, Hyatt Corporation’s profits are increasing but they want to lock workers into a permanent recession. Hyatt’s plan for economic recovery is a JOBLESS hotel industry recovery. By cutting jobs and increasing workload, Hyatt and the other global hotel companies continue to try to squeeze workers who already suffer from increased workloads and remain at risk for greater injuries.

Hyatt housekeepers in Vancouver change as many as 30 beds a day, including 120 pillows and 90 sheets. They clean as many as 15 toilets, sinks, mirrors, bathtubs while working under pressure to move quickly.

1600 hotel workers in Vancouver at the Hyatt, Westin Bayshore, Renaissance and Four Seasons hotels are bargaining a new union contract this year. All of these hotels are owned by wealthy global corporations. The majority of hotel workers are women and immigrants. All hotel workers deserve safe jobs that support families and provide for a secure future. Hotel jobs should be good jobs.

Join us July 22 at the Hyatt Regency Vancouver

5:00pm on Burrard St

For more info: 604-473-4815

Mei Mei Miao, a banquet worker at the Four Seasons Hotel and Local 40 member, receives a standing ovation from 1200 ITUC delegates for her presentation on Hotel Workers Rising.

1200 trade unionists from all over the world, in Vancouver for the ITUC World Congress, got to hear Mei Mei Miao, a banquet worker at the Four Seasons Hotel talk about the hotel workers’ fight for secure jobs and better working conditions. Mei Mei received an enthusiastic standing ovation for her presentation from the 1200 ITUC delegates who were in Vancouver to discuss global issues affecting workers. Addressing the Congress on June 22, Mei Mei talked about her experience as an immigrant worker working for a global hotel company, “We come here from all over the world to make a better life for ourselves and our families. We take pride in our work and enjoy taking care of customers. Yet these companies that are making huge profits keep cutting our jobs. Many of my co-workers are doing the jobs of 2 or 3 people. We can’t afford to get sick. We can’t afford to retire. Many of us can’t afford to live in Vancouver, so we live far away. We just want to be respected and feel good about taking care of our families.”

Despite a recovering economy and increasing Vancouver hotel business, workers continue to be squeezed by their employers through job cuts and increased workloads.

The current issue of the Georgia Straight reports on what this means for upcoming GVHEA bargaining.

Hotel workers and supporters rally outside the Hyatt Regency before marching to the Renaissance Hotel.

Hyatt workers across North America marched, rallied and protested today to focus attention on Hyatt Corporation’s treatment of its employees. Here in Vancouver, Hyatt workers were joined by Westin Bayshore, Renaissance, Four Seasons, Delta Vancouver Airport and Hilton Metrotown workers who all have expiring contracts this month. Local 40 members from GM Place, Host, Cara, Coast Plaza and many HIR hotels also came out to support. Friends of Local 40–labour unions, community groups and elected officials–also joined in the boisterous rally and march that began at the Hyatt and ended at the Renaissance Hotel. On the steps of the Renaissance, workers from each of the GVHEA hotels spoke out to demand the hotel companies stop squeezing workers and cutting jobs while hotel company profits are increasing. Local 40 members made it loud and clear today: we’re ready to fight!

Thanks to all our friends at HEU, USW, COPE 378, CAW, BCTF, UFCW and CUPE for bringing your colours and spirit to our rally!

Hotel workers from the Hyatt, Renaissance, Westin Bayshore, Four Seasons, Delta Vancouver Airport Hotel and Hilton Metrotown will be taking a strong public stand today to fight for a fair union contract. Hundreds of Local 40 members will be joined by friends and allies from community groups, unions and government to deliver a loudmessage to Hyatt and the other hotel companies: hotel workers deserve respect!

Global hotel companies like Starwood (Westin Bayshore), Hyatt, Marriott (Renaissance Hotel) and Four Seasons continue to rake in profits while squeezing more and more from workers. The hotel industry is rebounding from the recession faster than industry analysts expected yet these multinational companies appear to want to lock workers into recessionary contracts and continue job cuts.

Join Vancouver’s hotel workers today at the Hyatt at 5:00pm to demand justice for hotel workers.

For more info on the rally, phone 604-473-4815

Hotel Workers Rising is a movement of hotel workers across North America rising up to improve their jobs and secure better lives for themselves and their families.

This year, 2000 hotel workers in the Vancouver Metro area are negotiating new union contracts in tandem with 60,000 hotel workers across the continent.

Join us as we get ready for an exciting summer

Together, we can build good, sustainable jobs for workers and their families.

For more information on Hotel Workers Rising or GVHEA bargaining, contact Local40Campaign@gmail.com or phone 604-473-4815