Do you know an employer who is so determined to eliminate their workforce they would risk losing millions in business in 2022? It wouldn’t be a sound business strategy to me. But that’s what Hilton Metrotown may be on the path to doing, unless they rehire my co-workers and I before the end of this June.
My name is Sergio Moyer and I’m a locked out Guest Services lead and front desk supervisor at Hilton Metrotown. I’m also a member of UNITE HERE Local 40, BC‘s hotel workers’ union. I’ve lived in Burnaby for most of my life.
For 22 years I worked at Hilton Metrotown serving customers from around the world. I’ve seen this hotel grow and expand over the years. Many of my co-workers stayed with the hotel for over a decade or even more, as have I. Together, we built the business at Hilton Metrotown.
But today as we approach the 8th week of the lockout, BC’s major unions are launching a new pledge that sends a strong message to Hilton Metrotown. Union customers stand firm in their solidarity with locked out workers. To escalate the boycott, unions are urging Hilton Metrotown to settle the labour dispute immediately before the end of June and return us to our jobs. Otherwise, this hotel stands to lose millions of dollars more than they already have throughout 2022. Is Hilton Metrotown so invested in not rehiring long-time workers they would risk losing millions in business?
It’s incredibly shameful how our hotel fired 97 of us, locked the rest out, tried to cheat us of our severance, cut off our EI, and want to destroy everything we worked so hard for.
Is this how Hilton Metrotown treats its long-term, loyal workers? My co-workers and I are struggling right now. I’ve lost a large portion of my income this year, and while I have managed to stay afloat for now, I’m worried about the future. Most of us have been out of work for months and have to choose between paying our rent or putting food on the table. The workers on the picket line, many of whom are women and people of colour, have been the hardest hit by COVID-19.
It’s unbelievable the depths to which Hilton Metrotown has gone to get rid of staff who have dedicated their lives to building this hotel. For management to still lock us out for this long despite many customers moving to other hotels, including Lufthansa, is an all-time low.
That’s why we’ve decided to escalate the boycott with this new pledge.
Now, BC’s largest unions are calling on Hilton Metrotown to do the right thing and settle the labour dispute this month. If they don’t, they could face a greater financial hit than this pandemic has wrought, in addition to the millions they’ve already lost this year.
I’m grateful to BCGEU, CUPE BC, HEU, BCTF, MoveUp, and all my other union siblings for standing beside us in this fight – together, we will continue to fight back until Hilton Metrotown returns workers back to their jobs.
It’s up to Hilton Metrotown to make the right decision by the end of this month or risk a major financial loss. No one deserves to lose their job just because of the pandemic!
By Sergio Moyer
