Picketers won't be silenced after Vancouver hotels win court order restricting noise
Credit to Author: Cheryl Chan| Date: Mon, 07 Oct 2019 00:29:24 +0000
Striking workers at three downtown Vancouver hotels plan to keep up the pressure despite a recent court ruling restricting workers from making excessive noises and blocking people and vehicles on hotel premises.
Nym Calvez, a room attendant at the Pinnacle Hotel Harbourfront for four years, said her group of picketers can get loud.
“We want to make noise because we want the public to know this is what we are fighting for and we deserve a fair contract,” she said on Sunday, taking a break from the picket line.
“They think if they take our noise makers we are going to stop striking. That’s not going to happen.”
A court order issued Oct. 3 by B.C. Supreme Court Justice Shelley Fitzpatrick restrains striking workers at the Pinnacle Hotel Harbourfront, Hyatt Regency Vancouver and the Westin Bayshore from blocking and impeding movement of people and vehicles on hotel premises.
It also bans picketers from using devices like air horns, sirens, blow horns and whistles. Drums, microphones, speakers, megaphones or other electronic devices that amplifies sound shouldn’t exceed 75 decibels on an approved sound meter emanating at least 6.1 metres from the source of the noise, it said.
Sharan Pawa, spokeswoman for Unite Here Local 40, said the union will comply with the decision.
“We will abide by this decision and continue to demonstrate and strike for standards that will transform the way rich corporations and developers treat workers in Vancouver.”
Calvez said her group of picketers is now just using one drum instead of a drum line. They will also keep any megaphone use to a “medium setting.” But she’s confident the workers will still be heard. “We will use our voices, just chanting,” she said.
Unionized hotel workers walk the picket line outside the Hyatt Regency Hotel in downtown Vancouver on Oct. 6. Sunday marks day 18 of the strike for Unite Here Local 40 workers at the Hyatt Regency, Pinnacle Hotel Waterfront and the Westin Bayshore hotels.
The order was in response to three notices of civil claim filed Sept. 27 by the hotels that claimed picketers were making “substantial and unreasonable amount of noise” using instruments like horns, vuvuzelas, plastic buckets, drums and air horns.
The noise can be heard from morning to night every day since the strike started, said Pinnacle hotel’s lawsuit.
The notice also claimed picketers blocked access to people and vehicles entering and exiting hotel premises, and have intimidated guests and employees.
Michael D’Angelo, VP of labour relations at the Hyatt, said the court order was a “significant step in the right direction.”
“The application submitted by Hyatt to the Supreme Court of British Columbia was based on violations of the public health and safety laws pertaining to noise levels and traffic disruption while picketing,” he said in a statement.
“(We) respect the rights of our colleagues to voice their opinions in a way that is less disruptive to our guests and visitors.
He said he hopes the union will return to the negotiating table.
About 950 workers at the Hyatt, Westin and Pinnacle hotels — which are bargaining together as a unit — have been on strike since September 19. Another 200 workers at the Hotel Georgia hit the picket line Sept. 22.
They are demanding job security, wage increase, better safety and workload reduction. The Greater Vancouver Hotel Employers Association has said it had proposed a wage increase and agreed to better health and safety resources, but said the offer was rejected.
Calvez said workers have been feeling the financial pinch after two weeks on the picket line, but said it’s worth it.
“All our members understand there is going to be hardship,” she said. “We need to make some sacrifices but this is about our future.”