Chilliwack Best Western could be behind picket lines by Friday

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Chilliwack—Unifor Local 3000 has served 72-hour strike notice at the Best Western Rainbow Country Inn after the employer refused to respond to the union’s latest offer.

“A strike is imminent unless the employer comes back to the table. They’ve threatened to close the Embassy Restaurant and Lounge, but we can’t do much if the owners aren’t prepared to bargain,” said Peter McQuade, Unifor National Representative. “These hotel workers deserve a fair deal.”

Job action could begin at 12:15 p.m. on Friday, November 11 if the hotel’s owners don’t engage in negotiations for a fair deal during the next two days.

Unifor says that it will be at the Labour Board on Thursday to file an unfair labour practice charge against the hotel after a manager was accused of misleading workers about the state of negotiations.

“A series of reckless moves by the employer is driving these negotiations towards a strike,” said McQuade. “The hotel’s owners have a choice to make soon about whether or not Christmas banquets will be cancelled.”

Unifor is Canada’s largest union in the private sector, representing more than 310,000 workers. It was formed Labour Day weekend 2013 when the Canadian Auto Workers and the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers unions merged.