A group of locked-out Hilton Metrotown hotel workers in Burnaby, represented by UNITE HERE Local 40, set up a picket line in front of a mock wedding outside the hotel Monday, urging couples to “put a ring on it” somewhere else.
During the pandemic, Hilton Metrotown management terminated 97 long-term staff, and locked out the rest on April 15, 2021 – a move the union has called “mass firings.” Workers have been on the picket line for nearly 10 months.
Hilton Metrotown is a popular wedding destination for Burnaby locals looking to tie the knot, the union said. While Hilton Metrotown has promoted To Have & To Hold, an “all-inclusive intimate wedding ceremony” package for customers, workers described a different story at the hotel where they’ve been locked out of their jobs.
“Don't put a ring on it at Hilton Metrotown,” said Jaswinder Bassi. “I worked as a room attendant for 15 years at this hotel until management locked me out in 2021, after firing 97 of my co-workers. I urge you to tie the knot at a venue that respects workers.”
"I met the love of my life at this hotel, where he worked as a chef and I as a night auditor. We are incensed at Hilton Metrotown's actions. Would you get married at a hotel that disrespects working people?” asked Liza Secretaria, who served the hotel for almost 22 years.
The B.C. Federation of Labour has endorsed a boycott of Hilton Vancouver Metrotown. The City of Burnaby also announced that it would not be doing any business with the hotel due to the lockout.
