Harrison Hot Springs Resort employees rallied again early Friday (July 9) and Saturday (July 10) morning, drumming and chanting in hopes of sending a message to resort management to meet and negotiate with them.
There have been three rallies from resort employees since the B.C. Labour Relations Board delivered a yet-to-be-rescinded lockout notice to UNITE HERE Local 40 in late April. UNITE HERE Local 40 spokesperson Stephanie Fung said the rallies were meant to urge management company Hospitality Industrial Relations (HIR) to listen to their concerns.
RELATED: Friday lockout looms for Harrison resort workers
“Harrison workers are planning more actions to demand recognition for the sacrifices they’ve made for the hotel during the pandemic,” Fung told The Observer.
Fung added workers have been dealing with a higher volume of work due to taking extra COVID precautions and the increase of tourism traffic with the summer season and as a result, they’re looking for a “modest increase” to their pay. In late April, the union asked for recall rights through summer 2023, which would allow current employees laid off during the pandemic to return to work as soon as it was available again.
RELATED: Harrison resort workers call for pay raise, acknowledgement in ‘wake-up rally’ outside hotel
Harrison Hot Springs Resort is the only one of 28 that has not recently reached a tentative agreement with UNITE HERE. The previous contract between HIR and UNITE HERE expired last May, and after 13 negotiation sessions as of this April, no agreement has been reached. As of July 9, there are no updates on negotiations, according to Fung.
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