UNITE HERE Local 75 Union Members at the Park Hyatt Hotel Celebrate Record-breaking Wage Increases

TORONTO, November 15, 2023 – Yesterday, Park Hyatt workers represented by UNITE HERE Local 75 voted in favour of a contract that brings them an average of more than 15 percent wage increases over one year. This historic agreement includes not only the largest ever wage increase in the union’s history, but the largest wage increase won by any unionized hotel across the province.

At a time when affordability in the city is challenging, as the GTA’s hospitality and food service workers’ union, UNITE HERE Local 75 is pleased with its continued success in leading the sector in the fight for good wages.

“We are proud of our Park Hyatt members who have fought hard not only for this contract, but to raise the standard for hotel workers across Toronto. This victory proves what is achievable with the power of a strong union led by its members,” said Guled Warsame, President of UNITE HERE Local 75. The historic 15 percent increase will take place over one year, after which union members will negotiate a new contract.

UNITE HERE Local 75 members have a strong track record of achieving industry leading contracts. Through resolve and determination, the union is changing lives in the hospitality sector by ensuring that jobs are safe and that they provide enough to raise families on. Through their contract fights over the years, UNITE HERE Local 75 members have seen monumental achievements that include the highest wages in the sector, the best health benefits in the country, job security, and much more.

“We love what we do and are dedicated to doing our best in our jobs, which are very demanding physically. This contract means so much to us, especially when people across the Greater Toronto Area are struggling with inflation and the increasing cost of living,” said Hayato Ochiai, Park Hyatt Bell Attendant and UNITE HERE Local 75 member. “Many workers in our industry can barely make ends meet. But as members of UNITE HERE Local 75 we are paving the way to change lives for the better, and to ensure that workers in our industry get their fair share.”

Moving forward, the union sees this victory as an opportunity to achieve even bigger successes. Home to over 8,000 members across southern Ontario, the local has more wins in the pipeline.

“There are many workers in our industries who are not unionized,” added Warsame. “This record-breaking contract is a message; hotel, food service, and gaming workers are the ambassadors to this city who have the right to a fair wage that can help them and their loved ones not only live, but thrive. Park Hyatt will not be the last UNITE HERE workplace to raise the industry standards.”

Park Hyatt UNITE HERE Local 75 members voting on new contract

Park Hyatt UNITE HERE Local 75 members voting on new contract

ABOUT UNITE HERE Local 75:

UNITE HERE is the strongest hospitality union in North America, with more than 300,000 members in the USA and Canada working in the hotels, food service, and gaming sectors. UNITE HERE Local 75 represents nearly 8,000 hospitality workers in the Greater Toronto Area.

 

UNITE HERE LOCAL 75 STATEMENT ON THE CURRENT HOSTILE SITUATION IN GAZA-ISRAEL

UNITE HERE Local 75 joins the growing calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and a safe corridor to allow much-needed aid into the besieged area. Humanitarian organizations call the situation on the ground in Gaza “catastrophic”, as no water, electricity, or basic supplies have been allowed into the Gaza strip, home to over 2 million people, since the October 7th Hamas attack on Israel.

As the situation in Gaza worsens, where more than 8,000 civilians, including over 3,000 children have been killed, UNITE HERE Local 75 calls for a definite end to all hostilities from all sides, and urges the Canadian government to work with the Israeli and Egyptian governments to lift the 17 year old blockade on the Gaza strip so that the people of Gaza can have their basic rights of movement, freedom, and safety and security, and their dignity restored.

As of now, all hospitals in Gaza are overwhelmed with patients, injured victims, and displaced families seeking shelter after their homes were bombed. That is not all; the blockade and constant besiegement on the small, dense area have left hospitals without any fuel or clean water, making room for the spread of infectious diseases and making treating those in urgent need nearly impossible.

Without a complete cessation of hostilities, any attempts to let aid into Gaza would be futile, as vehicles, civilians, schools, shelters, and even hospitals have been targeted and bombed. UNITE HERE Local 75 calls on all stakeholders with power to act immediately to stop the violence before any further, preventable casualties.

 

 

Happy Thanksgiving from Local 75!

It is Thanksgiving season! The season that serves as a reminder for us to look back in gratitude and look forward with inspiration and insight, as we count our blessings and express our appreciation for our big union family.

This Thanksgiving, we are thankful to UNITE HERE Local 75 members, our union’s most powerful link, for their leadership in our ongoing fight for a better world for their families, their colleagues, and for all of us. As we prepare to enter a new round of bargaining, let us reflect on our past victories, all of which were successful thanks to our brothers, sisters, and siblings who are the reason we are here today.

It is also important to acknowledge that, while some of us enjoy a warm Thanksgiving weekend with our families and loved ones, workers across hospitality, food services, and gaming sectors work hard to make this Thanksgiving holiday a special and memorable one for the thousands of people visiting the Greater Toronto Area. Many of these workers are not yet unionized – it is our duty to bring them into our extended UNITE HERE family and continue raising the standard for hospitality workers in Canada.

Today, and every day, we are all here united thanks to this continuous hard work and dedication of thousands of our members, and we will continue working hard for greater victories and better lives, united, hand in hand with our big UNITE HERE Local 75 family.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Labour Day March with UNITE HERE Local 75


On Monday, September 4, 2023, UNITE HERE Local 75’s members and their families will come together in Toronto for the union’s annual Labour Day march.

The march, which will start at Armoury Street at 8 AM, aims to celebrate the over 8,000 Local 75 members across the Greater Toronto Area, predominantly immigrants, women, and people of colour. This celebration is at the core of the Labour Day spirit, a day that reminds us of the continued fight for workers’ rights and better conditions for all. That fight is especially crucial to achieve equality for minorities and women, who are often more vulnerable to exploitation by their employers.

What is Labour Day?

Every year, unions, the labour movement, and workers across Canada celebrate Labour Day on the first Monday of September. The historic day started at a time when unions where illegal in Canada, in 1872. Labour Day existed initially to give workers the chance to campaign for better working conditions, such as 8-hour workdays, weekends, and better pay. Today, Labour Day is a statutory holiday across Canada to celebrate the achievements of workers.

LABOUR DAY! Join us Monday September 4, 2023 at 8am!

LABOUR DAY is coming soon! Join us this Monday, 8am, on Armoury Street between Centre Ave and Chestnut Street, north of Nathan Phillips Square to march in the Parade, delicious boxed food, and free entry to the EX!

Meet at the L75 Lion in the map below:


Advance Voting Starts This Week, Runs June 8-13!

The 2023 Mayoralty election will be the largest by-election in Canadian history. The stakes are high. We need to elect a Mayor who understands the unprecedented challenges ahead of us as a City from the affordability crisis, safe and reliable TTC service, to championing good, stable jobs with decent wages. UNITE HERE Local 75 has proudly endorsed Ana Bailao for Mayor of Toronto.

Ana Bailao Speaking at Local 75 rally.

Ana’s roots in labour are cemented with her father being a construction worker, and her mother working as a seamstress when they first immigrated to Canada. Ana herself cleaned offices every day with her mother after school for 2 years.

A former Councillor for 12 years, Deputy Mayor and Chair of the Affordable Housing + Planning and Growth Committee, she has been our ally on numerous fronts including:

       advocating for workforce housing;

       supporting strong and fair regulations for short-term rentals like Airbnb;

       considering the impacts of hotel redevelopment on displaced workers.

Ana shares our vision to continue to raise the standard of living for hospitality workers by supporting responsible development which can provide economic stability with jobs one can raise a family on, and jobs one can build a community around

Vote Ana Bailao, #11 on the Ballot! Vote in advance!

You can vote at ANY one of the 50 advance vote locations in the city between June 8-13.

Find a voting location: https://www.uniteherelocal75.org/advance-voting-starts-this-week/

UNITE HERE! Local 75 Endorses Ana Bailao for Mayor of Toronto

As the largest hospitality union representing over 7000 hotel, food service, and gaming workers in Toronto, UNITE HERE Local 75 is proud to endorse Ana Bailao for Mayor of Toronto.

Ana has always supported our efforts to build good jobs in the hospitality industry – jobs that include fair wages, decent benefits, workload protection, job security, and dignity at work.

Amongst other initiatives, given the number of redevelopment proposals at hotels across the city, she pushed for a study to assess the impacts of diminishing hotel room supply in relation to the loss of good jobs and the workforce. She also worked with us to develop strong and fair regulations for short-term rentals like Airbnb to protect Toronto’s rental housing market and fight against unregulated ghost hotels which add to the pressure to convert hotels to condos.

Ana shares our vision to continue to raise the standard of living for hospitality workers by supporting responsible development which can provide economic stability with jobs one can raise a family on, and jobs one can build a community around.

Guled Warsame

President, UNITE HERE Local 75

 

Local 75 Getting the Vote Out! Toronto Election 2022

Last weekend, Local 75 ran a canvassing blitz for Toronto City Council candidates Chris Moise and Ausma Malik. Toronto needs strong, progressive city councillors like Ausma and Chris! 
Read more

Proposed Bylaw Amendments

Amendments to the Local 75 Bylaws as proposed by the Local 75 Executive Board on October 6, 2022 and laid out at our most recent GMM will be voted on at our next General Membership Meeting on January 10, 2023.

The Proposed amendments include:

  • Include the feminine pronoun and/or gender-neutral pronouns such as they/them wherever a masculine pronoun occurs
  • Holding the election of officers every five years instead of every four years

For a complete listing of the proposed amendments and of our current bylaws, click the links below:

Local 75 By-Laws April 2008-as amended January 2011 – FINAL-1 (1)

Proposed Amendments to Local 75 Bylaws as approved by Local 75 Executive Board

If you have any questions, please speak with your Local 75 representative, your Executive Board representative, or contact us at [email protected] or 416-384-0983

Labour Day Parade 2022

Come out and celebrate our first in-person Labour Day parade since the pandemic! This year, Local 75 is leading the parade. If you have any questions, be sure to check with your organizer for details, participation is free.

Monday Sept 5th, 8AM sharp!

We’ll be on the corner of Queen St. and University Avenue. See you there!