Banging their drums, blowing their whistles and chanting tales of how their employer doesn’t care, the group of 40 or so Richmond hotel workers appeared undeterred by the rain bouncing off the ground.
Motivated by years of supposed increased workloads with little reward, the employees — many clad in rain ponchos and huddled under umbrellas — marched back and forth Wednesday late afternoon in front of the Sheraton Vancouver Airport on Westminster Highway.
The majority of the hotel’s 180 unionized employees, such as housekeepers, front desk staff, bellhops and cooks, claim their workloads have significantly increased out of line with their wages since the Sheraton took over the former Best Western Richmond Inn in 2010.
And, under the steam of the UNITE Here Local 40 union, the workers want to break away from a collective bargaining system — which involves 40 other properties — and be compared with other local hotels, such as the Pacific Gateway on Cessna Drive, where the hourly rate is, apparently, much higher.
“When it was the Richmond Inn, the rooms just had two double beds,” said Jean Harvey, a single mom living in Richmond with two older children, who has been housekeeping at the hotel for 12 years.
“Now, the rooms have two queens and the standards that we need to meet are much higher now; but we still get paid the same.”
“It’s very tough with only one income coming into the house.
“We rush to finish more work in less time, and the work is causing us pain. Some of us take pain killers just to get through the day.
“We tell the company we deserve better treatment, but they don’t listen to us.”
Hospitality Industrial Relations (HIR), an independent body, negotiates with unions on behalf of 40 properties, including, but not only, the Sheraton in Richmond.
However, the Sheraton workers want to break away from the collective bargaining model and negotiate independently with the Sheraton, citing the fact that all the properties in the 40 provide the same level of service.
Since the latest collective agreement expired on May 31, Michelle Travis, UNITE Here Local 40’s spokesperson, said summer-long discussions with the Sheraton have not progressed.
“It’s a Sheraton now, not the Richmond Inn, so they’re able to charge higher rates and workers feel they’re not being valued,” said Travis.
Calls to the hotel’s general manager were not returned by The News’ deadline.
