Unionized employees at the Inn at Laurel Point have voted 98% in favour of a new collective agreement, avoiding a strike as the tourism season gets underway.
Members of Unite Here Local 40 will see wage increases of 20% or more over the term of the new four-year deal “to meet the rising cost of living in Victoria,” the union said Thursday.
By the end of the new contract in early 2026, cooks and room attendants will earn 25% and 26% more, respectively, in wages over the previous agreement.
Tipped workers also achieved improvements to protecting gratuities.
The new collective agreement gives servers, bartenders, banquet staff, room attendants and bellstaff the right to review records to ensure management correctly pays automatic charges and credit/debit card tips and it prohibits management from creating tip pools.
Front desk staff also won protections of their sales commissions, according to the union.
“Getting the contract we want means that I am better able to support my family,” Aaron Walters, a server at the hotel’s Aura Restaurant, said in a statement. “I’m very proud that we all stuck together to attain a living wage, given Victoria’s high rate of inflation.”
Hotel workers had issued 72-hour strike notice on April 27 after months at the bargaining table.
“The workers are happy and relieved to come to an agreement. We were fortunate to have a strong group of organizers and committee to achieve this fair result,” said Harj Aheer, a front desk agent at the inn.
Unite Here Local 40 represents hospitality workers in Victoria and across sa国际传媒 in the hotel, food service and airport industries.
>>> To comment on this article, write a letter to the editor: [email protected]
