UNITE HERE in The Hill Times

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Local 75 President Guled Warsame and Local 40 President Zailda Chan spoke out about the plight of hospitality workers in The Hill Times demanding that the government put workers front and centre in the Federal Relief efforts for Aviation and Hospitality sectors. 

“Desperate to stay afloat, hospitality and airline industries and aviation authorities are asking for sectoral relief, such as forgivable loans, rent and fee waivers, tax deferrals and relaxed regulations. While government should consider the unique impact the pandemic has on our sectors, we believe the industry’s workers must be the centre of any sectoral relief package.”

Members across the country are telling their government “Relief for the industry must include relief for workers!” Click here to add your voice!

UNITE HERE Canada demands hospitality bailout puts workers first!

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Local 75 and other UNITE HERE locals across Canada are demanding a seat at the table as Trudeau begins to consider relief packages specifically for hospitality.
Included in our demands: any future support provided to industry sectors such as hotels, airlines & airline caterers, airport or sports stadiums, UNITE HERE is calling on the government to compel employers to:
  • Agree to participate in Canada Emergency Wage Subsity (CEWS) and return at least 100% of workers laid-off due to COVID to the payroll covering wages and benefits throughout the life of the CEWS program.
  • Calculate hospitality workers’ CEWS income with a 12-month average. Workers will otherwise fall through the cracks. Winter is normally marked by short hours, low income and even layoffs, an inappropriate CEWS measure for seasonal workers.
  • Put in place an extended recall period for workers for up to 24 months.
  • Guarantee workers in high Covid-19 risk worksites government certified health and safety training, full PPE and appropriate hazard pay.
Click here to read the letter sent to Minister of Finance Bill Morneau.

Canada Emergency Response Benefit Portal is Now Online

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As of this morning (Monday April 6, 2020), the reporting portal for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) is now live. If you qualify for EI but have not yet applied, you must go through the CERB portal. Your application will be processed there, where it will be determined whether you qualify for EI or CERB. You will be automatically redirected to the benefit you qualify for. For more information on CERB and EI, check out our FAQ page.

Due to the high volume of Canadians like currently reporting, the Federal Government as advised applicants to log into the portal according to the following guidelines:

CERB is a $2,000 benefit distributed once a month for 4 months. The benefit is taxable – recipients will need to report any payments received on next year’s tax filing. An information slip for the 2020 tax year will be posted on the CRA portal, in My Account under Tax Information Slips (T4 and more).

Be sure to visit our COVID-19 Resource Centre for information and updates.

UNITE HERE! Canada Responds to COVID-19 Crisis

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Yesterday, UNITE HERE Leadership from across Canada held a press conference to discuss with major news organizations the unprecedented economic impact of the COVID-19 crisis on workers nationwide in a recorded tele-press conference. For coverage, see below

CTV News Toronto: Nearly 90 per cent of hospitality workers will lose jobs because of COVID-19 pandemic, union predicts

Global News: Hospitality union offers help as hotels considered as makeshift hospitals 

Canadian Press (as seen in National Post): Hospitality workers hit ‘first and hit hardest’, says union seeking more support

CTV Vancouver: Hospitality workers call for financial support in face of mass layoffs 

CBC: Hospitality workers’ union says 90% of members have lost their jobs in past 2 weeks

To listen to a complete recording of the UNITE HERE Canada press conference, click here.

To see the letter Local 75 sent to Premier Ford, click here..