VICTORIA — The membership of Unifor Local 4276 has voted overwhelmingly to ratify a new three-year contract with their employer at the Fairmont Empress Hotel.
The three-year collective agreement increases wages 14.5 per cent over the term, plus a Cost of Living Adjustment of an additional 1.5 per cent in the third year. The contract also secures a more manageable workload and establishes mandatory breaks to help reduce physical strain for workers in the housekeeping department.
Additionally, workers at the Fairmont Express will receive higher pension and RRSP matching from the employer, an increase to gratuities, improved severance payments, enshrined paid sick days and stronger re-call provisions.
“Unifor members at the Fairmont Empress have secured a strong collective agreement and have helped set the table for upcoming negotiations in the hospitality sector,” says Lana Payne, Unifor national president. “Congratulations on a job well done.”
“Hospitality workers are at the centre of British Columbia’s tourism-and-convention industry. This contract is a historic step forward for both wages and health and safety,” says Gavin McGarrigle, Unifor Western regional director.
This ground-breaking collective agreement will not only benefit workers at the Fairmont Empress but will be used by Unifor as the benchmark for bargaining with the union’s other hospitality groups and for organizing non-union hotel workers. Unifor Local 4276 represents almost 450 workers in the housekeeping, culinary, grounds keeping, serving, guest relations, maintenance, and engineering departments. Later this year, Unifor members at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver and the Coast Coal Harbour will be negotiating new contracts.
