Workers looking for ‘fairness and respect’: UFCW
Hospitality workers at River’s Reach Pub in New Westminster, B.C., are the newest members of United Food and Commercial Workers union (UFCW) Canada, Local 1518 after voting on May 13 to join the union.
“For the workers at River’s Reach, bringing in the union was about fairness and respect,” said Patrick Johnson, UFCW 1518 secretary-treasurer. “The hospitality industry is notoriously precarious and largely non-unionized, making it difficult for workers to find stable employment.”
Last week, the B.C. NDP announced amendments to employment standards that strengthen protection for workers, including a ban on employer’s claiming tips. Still, the standard of legal protection is lower for non-unionized workers, said the union.
