Boycott Radisson Blu Vancouver Airport

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the owner of Radisson Blu Vancouver Airport (formerly Pacific Gateway Hotel) terminated 143 long-term hotel workers and refused to recall them to their jobs as tourism came back.  The hotel raked in millions of taxpayer dollars when the owner allowed the government to use it as a quarantine site during the pandemic, meanwhile, workers were left out in the cold.

Hurting women: The pandemic firings of 143 workers disproportionately impacted women, particularly racialized women. In response, a housekeeper filed a human rights complaint on behalf of herself and 89 other women against the hotel for sex and racial discrimination. To read more, click here.

While 70% of the hotel’s staff was forced out, remaining workers have been on strike for 2 years to protest poor treatment and to demand a fair contract.

Pacific Gateway was recently rebranded Radisson Blu Vancouver Airport. While the name may have changed, the ownership is the same. And workers are still on strike!

Services at the 400-room hotel are limited given the impact of the mass terminations and ongoing strike.

Customers & Community Won’t Cross the Picket Line!

Richmond City Council passed a resolution they will not support events or promote business with the hotel until a resolution is reached with the workers.  The BC Federation of Labour and Canadian Labour Congress have endorsed a customer boycott of the hotel. 

“To cover my mortgage I’m renting out my basement and selling my possessions. Being on strike for this long has been hard financially and emotionally. I worked here for nearly 30 years before I was terminated. It’s tough to find a new job and start at the bottom - this is my job, and I’m not backing down. I will be on strike with my co-workers until we get our jobs back!”

Jillan Louie, Server