Part-time work restructuring priority: Unifor
Unifor members at the Delta Hotels Toronto Airport and Conference Centre signed a new contract on Nov. 16.
“We are making significant progress turning more precarious casual and part-time jobs into full-time jobs,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor national president. “Now that Doug Ford is stripping workers of basic rights, creating secure full-time work in Ontario’s hospitality industry is even more important.”
Unifor says that the structure of the expired collective agreement trapped part-time workers in part-time status. After joining Unifor earlier this year, the bargaining committee resolved to make restructuring part-time work a priority. The new contract helps ensure that part-timers working at least 24 hours per week will have the opportunity to move to full-time status, said the union.
Over the term of the three-year contract, wages will increase 10.6 per cent (cumulatively), which is the largest increase in the history of the hotel. Increases and retro paycheques will arrive before the holiday season, said Unifor.
Health benefits will be improved and the employer has agreed to major increases in pension contributions. Important workload protections for room attendants have also been secured, said the union.
Unifor, Local 7575 was also successful at enshrining a women’s advocate position in the collective agreement, as well as securing a mechanism for protecting workers from harassment by guests and introducing panic buttons for room attendants, said Unifor.
