Members of Unifor Local 114 at Victoria’s Hotel Grand Pacific in the housekeeping, culinary, groundskeeping, serving, guest relations, maintenance and engineering departments have voted to strike if a new contract cannot be agreed to by the Sept. 1 expiration date of the current agreement.
The union said it is seeking similar terms to what some other B.C. hotels have agreed to, which includes elements relating to the length of the agreement, eco-transit, domestic violence leave and wages. Unifor said the Grand Pacific risks a “major customer service interruption” over the Labour Day holiday weekend if it does not agree to what the union calls a “pattern agreement.”
Hotel Grand Pacific general manager Reid James said the sides are due to sit down with mediator David Stroud today (Aug. 21) and tomorrow. That marks the first time the union and hotel have met officially since June, when talks accomplished little, James said.
He is optimistic that a deal can be reached ahead of the Sept. 1 expiration.
“I can’t see any reason why not, as long as both sides remain fair,” James said.
The union represent nearly 150 workers at the Belleville Street hotel.
