The 72-hour strike notice was delivered Monday afternoon following a public rally outside the hotel where workers and supporters called for fair wages.
About 90 unionized workers at the Coast Victoria Hotel and Marina in James Bay have issued 72-hour strike notice.
The strike notice was delivered Monday afternoon following a public rally outside the hotel where workers and supporters called for fair wages.
The hotel workers, represented by UNITE HERE Local 40, voted 93% in favour of strike action in May.
After months of bargaining, workers say they are no closer to an agreement that reflects Victoria’s rising cost of living, despite working in what they say is the best-performing hotel market in the province.
“Victoria is one of the most expensive cities in the country, but Coast workers are still making far below a living wage,” said Harj Aheer, Vancouver Island representative for UNITE HERE Local 40. “This hotel has left workers with no choice but to take a stand.”
The union said hotel workers in Vancouver have raised industry standards by winning wage increases, going from $22 an hour in 2019 to $33.16 an hour as of July 1.
But Victoria hotel wages have barely moved, the union spokesperson said.
Coast Victoria workers earn $24 to $25 an hour and have only seen their hourly wages rise by about $5 since 2019, said Aheer.
The living wage in Victoria is now estimated at nearly $27 an hour by advocacy groups.
The union said in a statement that any strike would be the first hotel strike in Victoria since the 1980s.
Coast Hotels said in a statement that it last met with the union on June 11, and remains “committed to reaching a fair and sustainable agreement that supports our valued employees and ensures the long-term viability of the hotel.”
The company said it’s prepared to return to the bargaining table at any time.
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