Hilton hotel workers in Burnaby and their bargaining committee celebrated the results of the contract ratification vote
that brings them in line with 2010 negotiations. Local 40 members working at the Hilton Metrotown Vancouver Hotel in Burnaby ratified a new collective agreement in January 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. The previous contract with this employer expired at the end of May, 2007. Local 40 President Jim Pearson, lead negotiator, said, “The strength and commitment of these 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 ground breaking agreement. “Our members 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 ground breaking 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. In winning their fight to reach wage parity plus the downtown Vancouver hotel contract standard, the Hilton Hotel workers were strongly supported by community, political and labour partners who helped by showing their strong support for, and alliance with, Local 40 members. Sixty rank and file UNITE HERE Local 40 Committee Leaders, from the Hilton, the Delta Vancouver Airport, Holiday Inn-Broadway, Westin Bayshore, Hyatt, Renaissance and Four Seasons, were also in attendance throughout bargaining. “We strongly believe,” said Local 40 President Pearson, “that the pressure applied at the 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 ground breaking settlement.” The hotel workers saw their new wages reflected in pay cheques starting in February and are now actively participating supporting their union brothers and sisters working at the Holiday Inn Vancouver Centre who are in a storm of controversy with their contract negotiations. Local 40 members gathered to participate in workplace committees (below left) as they engaged in bargaining throughout the fall of 2007. As a result, they were successful in achieving an historic new contract ratified in January of this year after votes were counted at the hotel (below right). | 
