VANCOUVER — Major wage increases and more manageable workloads are key features of a new three-year contract with the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver ratified by Unifor members.
The new collective agreement increases wages 18 per cent over the term and reduces the daily workload in housekeeping to help reduce the likelihood of injury. Overall, gratuities will increase, housekeeping staff will see an immediate increase of $0.40 per hour and the employer will improve contributions to the pension and RSP.
Additionally, workers at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver will receive an increase to the midnight shift premium, a higher wage floor for new employees and the recognition of the National Day for Truth & Reconciliation on September 30.
“Unifor members make the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver one of the most desirable hotels in the country,” says Lana Payne, Unifor national president. “They have negotiated an outstanding collective agreement that leads the industry and helps set a standard for upcoming negotiations elsewhere in the sector.”
“British Columbia’s tourism-and-convention industry wouldn’t be possible without top-quality hospitality workers. The gains made in this round help strengthen a collective agreement that’s virtually unrivalled in the sector,” says Gavin McGarrigle, Unifor western regional director.
“This agreement is a real game-changer for the hospitality industry. We held our ground at the bargaining table, knowing the members were supporting us and ready for a strike,” says Kevin Quinn, president of Unifor Local 4275. “The global pandemic was extremely hard on our members, and now that the industry has bounced back, they deserve their fair share of the profits.”
