CUPE 3903 Supports Striking Hotel Workers

A red banner from the UNITE HERE Local 75 picket line reads "Hotel Workers Rising".

A red banner from the UNITE HERE Local 75 picket line reads “Hotel Workers Rising”.

Since Monday, October 5, the workers represented by UNITE HERE Local 75 have been on strike at the Holiday Inn Express North York Hotel, located in the Jane and Finch community. As the press release explains, there are very few jobs in the Jane and Finch community that provide the kind of benefits and protections for which they are currently striking. These include fair wages, health benefits, pensions, and workload protections, which would simply be on par with the over 30 other hotels in the GTA which have signed similar agreements.

To Vrancor Group, which owns the hotel, we say: it’s time to come to the table in good faith. The workers of your hotel deserve good jobs and benefits.

The importance of this struggle is two-fold: hotel workers in all communities must have their labour recognized and protected, but it is also essential to recognize that good jobs are needed in the Jane and Finch community specifically. CUPE 3903 must continue to stand in solidarity with this community, our neighbours, and fight back against the idea that those who are already disadvantaged – women, racialized people, immigrants – are worth less than workers in other hotels across the GTA.

CUPE 3903 has been providing minimal strike support, but we need to do more. There will be a Halloween Rally on Thursday, October 29, 6pm.  Keep an eye out for future 3903 outings, and departmental Stewards and any other interested members are strongly encouraged to put together their own strike support groups. If you need any help with the logistics, email cupe3903comms@gmail.com.

You can like UNITE HERE Local 75 on Facebook, or follow them on Twitter, for the latest news on their ongoing strike.