Local 40 Headlines... Union encourages members to remember the fallen and injured on Day of Mourning, April 28 April 14, 2008 - UNITE HERE Local 40 is encouraging members to take a moment on Monday, April 28, 2008, to acknowledge those who have been injured or killed on the job as part of the International Day of Mourning. Local 40 president Jim Pearson plans on taking part in a local Labour Council event taking place at Burnaby City Hall and invites Local 40 members to also participate. For more information about events taking place in your community, click here.
Long time unionist passes away  March 25, 2008 - James “Jimmy” Morrison, Local’s 40’s oldest life member, passed away last week while in residence at the George Derby Centre in Burnaby.
Brother Morrison served the union as a Business Manager and Organizer for decades, having retired in the 1980s. His work with one of Local 40’s predecessor unions, Local 676, will be remembered for his efforts in being the first union to organize “chambermaids”, now known as housekeepers. He was also instrumental in organizing workers at Hastings Race Track and at the Harrison Hot Springs Resort and Spa. He began his career in the hotel industry in the 1930s when he worked as a doorman at the Grand Union Hotel in Vancouver. After serving in WWII, he returned to the labour movement and began a career of service to his union brothers and sisters that lasted more than five decades. Jimmy was also the first editor of Local 40’s member newspaper, The Mixer, that he began in 1976. Jimmy was always proud of the work he did with The Mixer, and up until a few weeks before he passed, at the age of 96, he continued communicating with The Mixer, offering sage and wise advice and interest in the affairs of hotel workers throughout British Columbia. Jimmy will be missed by all those who knew him. A memorial service is taking place on Thursday, March 27, 2008, at 2:00 pm at Burkeview Chapel, 1340 Dominion Avenue in Port Coquitlam, BC. Local 40 extends condolences to Jimmy’s family on their loss.
Membership returns Pearson & Ervin to top leadership positions, joined by new VP Lorrie Dyer 
Members of Local 40's Election Committee are shown above counting the votes from the union's election campaign. March 1, 2008 - In a mail ballot vote counted yesterday at the Hilton Vancouver Metrotown Hotel in Burnaby, UNITE HERE Local 40 President Jim Pearson and Secretary Treasurer Shelly Ervin were returned to the union's leadership positions and are now joined by the union's new Vice President Lorrie Dyer. Read more here.
Benefits provider ARM Management now on-line February 9, 2008 - Many members of Local 40 receive their negotiated Health Care & Pension Benefit packages through ARM Management. The company has recently launched their new website that features details of the benefits provided to Local 40 members at their various workplaces. To find out details of your benefit package, click here. To download your claim forms, please visit the company's website at www.armmanagement.ca.
Hilton Hotel Workers in Burnaby ratify a new collective agreement that brings them in line for 2010 negotiations! 
January 24, 2008 - Hotel workers at the Hilton Metrotown Vancouver Hotel in Burnaby ratified their new collective agreement today by a margin of 85%, bringing them up to the contract standard of their union brothers and sisters working in the downtown Vancouver corporate hotels. Local 40 President Jim Pearson said, "The workers at this hotel have shown each other and their employer that when they are determined they can achieve tremendous gains. Their hard work and solid stand have been rewarded with a groundbreaking contract that sets the stage for 2010 negotiations, when workers at this hotel will be lined up with their UNITE HERE brothers and sisters working in similar corporate hotels in Toronto, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Washington, DC and tourist cities in Hawaii will be negotiating." Over the term of the three year agreement, hotel workers at the Hilton will see 12% wage increases, with some departments that were seriously lagging behind the minimum standard getting an additional bump of up to 21% wage increases. The hotel workers will see their new wages reflected in paycheques starting in February. On behalf of the Hilton Hotel Workers, UNITE HERE Local 40 would like to thank their community, political and labour partners who helped achieve this groundbreaking new contract by showing their strong support for the Hilton Hotel Workers. The hotel workers at the Hilton will now be joining with workers from the DVA in Richmond and the downtown Vancouver corporate hotels as they fight for their Local 40 brothers and sisters at the Holiday Inn Vancouver Centre on Broadway in Vancouver to move that round of bargaining forward as it has reached a critical stage.
Workers at Delta Vancouver Airport Hotel in Richmond ratify new contract by a margin of 99%! January 23, 2008 - Hotel Workers at the DVA in Richmond ratified their new collective agreement today by a margin of 99% when they voted to accept the terms of a new three-year contract that rewards them with12% wage increases plus significant benefit and pension improvements. Local 40 President Jim Pearson said, "The workers at this hotel were the strongest and most united I have ever seen them. They grasped the full meaning of the Hotel Workers RISING! program and worked very hard to secure this remarkable win. Proudly, they now join with thousands of other UNITE HERE Hotel Workers who will be bargaining in 2010 at similar corporate hotels throughout North America." Housekeepers at the DVA also achieved a workload decrease with these tough negotiations that saw workers sending delegations to their employer, holding rallies and workplace committee meetings. They gathered major support from UNITE HERE's friends in the community, including a very strong showing from faith-based organizations, politicians and supporters in the labour movement who were on the verge of instituting a major boycott at this property with threatening to remove more than a million dollars worth of future business from this hotel. Workers at the DVA were also successful in negotiating a Prescription Drug Card in this round of bargaining, as well as securing two personal days by the end of the contract. The hotel workers at the DVA will now be focusing on showing their support, strength and solidarity with their Local 40 brothers and sisters at the Holiday Inn Vancouver Centre on Broadway in Vancouver where workers have yet to secure a new agreement as bargaining reaches a critical point with this employer.
Hilton Metrotown workers in Burnaby reach a tentative agreement! 
January 18, 2008 - Hilton Metrotown workers reached a groundbreaking tentative agreement late last evening in their fight to reach wage parity plus the downtown Vancouver hotel contract standard. Local 40 President Jim Pearson, who led this round of tough negotiations, said, "The strength and commitment of the hotel workers who fought for what they deserve at the Hilton is a tremendous victory. It is an honour and a privilege to work with such dedicated members who believed in and achieved this groundbreaking agreement". Sixty rank and file UNITE HERE Local 40 Committee Leaders, from the Hilton, the Delta Vancouver Airport (who reached a tentative agreement earlier in the week), Holiday Inn-Broadway, Westin Bayshore, Hyatt, Renaissance and Four Seasons, were at last night's bargaining session to support their brother & sisters at the Hilton and to celebrate their great victory. "Without a doubt," said Local 40 President Jim Pearson, "the Hilton responded to the threat of a boycott by our friends in the labour movement and other organizations that hold events at the hotel. Together with our Committee Leaders, we strongly believe that the pressure applied at the (recently settled) Delta Vancouver Airport Hotel by workers, unions, community and political leaders got the attention of Hilton management and played an important part in bargaining this groundbreaking settlement." Details of the new agreement are being circulated to the workers at the Hilton and a ratification votes will take place in the property next week. NEXT - Holiday Inn-Broadway workers need your support to settle their contract negotiations.
Tentative agreement reached at the Delta Vancouver Airport Hotel! January 15, 2008 - A tentative agreement was reached late last night for more than 200 workers at the Delta Vancouver Aiport Hotel in Richmond, BC. The Bargaining Committee reports they have succeeded in reaching their goal to negotiate the same terms as what the downtown Vancouver hotel workers achieved with their historic contract signed last September. Jim Pearson, Local 40 President and Lead Negotiator for this round of bargaining says, "The fight at this hotel is part of our ongoing campaign to transform our union. These workers have shown great determination and solidarity as they they fought very hard to achieve what their union brothers and sisters working in the downtown Vancouver hotels accomplished this summer. The support these workers had from our friends in labour, helpful politicians and our community supporters also played an important part in being able to reach this agreement." Details of the new contract will be circulated to the workers at the Delta Vancouver Airport Hotel with information of when and where the ratification vote will take place. Negotiations continue at the Hilton Vancouver Metrotown in Burnaby and the Holiday Inn Vancouver Centre.
Seeking a new contract, Delta Vancouver Airport Hotel workers deliver Christmas message to their employer December 21, 2007 - In a strong show of solidarity, UNITE HERE hotel workers at the Delta Vancouver Airport Hotel in Richmond were joined by their union brothers and sisters who work in the downtown Vancouver corporate hotels, for Aramark at GM Place, local politicians, members of the community and the Solidarity Choir as they delivered a timely Christmas message to their employer. Singing “We Shall Not Be Moved”, and “Solidarity Forever”, the hotel workers filled the front lobby of the hotel as they ramped up the pressure to settle a fair deal now. Read more here.
Community support broadens as bargaining continues at three major hotels 
December 3, 2007 - While bargaining continues at three major hotels in the lower mainland, community supporters are sending letters of encouragement and taking action to let the corporate hotel owners know that hotel workers must be treated fairly in British Columbia. Union organizers are continuing to distribute Pledge Forms to community supporters, including faith-based groups, unions and political leaders, asking them to join with the hotel workers at the Delta Vancouver Airport Hotel in Richmond, the Hilton Metrotown Vancouver in Burnaby and the Holiday Inn Vancouver Centre on Broadway in Vancouver in their struggle for justice, dignity and respect in their workplaces. Hotel workers at these properties have been in bargaining since September of this year and are seeking the same contract as their union brothers and sisters working in Vancouver's downtown corporate hotels. Read more here.
Aramark workers at GM Place remain
UNITE HERE 
October 10, 2007 - In a membership vote conducted by the Labour Relations Board in Vancouver, a decisive majority of UNITE HERE members working for Aramark at GM Place have voted in favour of remaining with their union, UNITE HERE Local 40. The vote resulted from raiding activity that took place in the spring and summer by the BC Government Employees Union. Read more here.
Vancouver hotel workers ratify new contract 
Saturday, September 29, 2007 - Workers at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, Four Seasons Hotel, Renaissance Vancouver Harbourside Hotel and Westin Bayshore Hotel voted yesterday to ratify a new union contract. Read more here.
UNITE HERE members at Cara Flight Kitchen ratify new collective agreement  July 25, 2007, Richmond, BC - UNITE HERE Local 40 members working at Cara Airline Solutions in Richmond, the "Flight Kitchen", ratified a new collective agreement today after a deal was reached on the weekend. Read more here.
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