Hotel workers go through lengthy strike —
to achieve first contract with PoCo Inn

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Cindy Teasdale.

A long strike by nine employees of
the Best Western PoCo Inn hotel in
Port Coquitlam gathered the support of
the entire I.W.A. Between November
22 of last year and February 25 of this
year, newly organized Local 1-3567
members at the hotel were out on the
picket line in efforts for better wages,
benefits and working conditions.

In June of 1996, following a change
in management, the nine workers de-
cided to join the I.W.A. after sliding
backwards with the employer. A two
day sign-up and labour board applica-
tion, conducted by local union busi-
ness agent Lyle Olson, resulted in suc-
cessful certification.

The local union tried to get an ac-
ceptable collective agreement before
calling the strike in November. It was
obvious that the employer had wanted
to keep wages at poverty levels and
not share in the wealth of the opera-
tion.

On February 17 the union held a ral-
ly in support of the strikers outside
the PoCo where unionists and other
supporters gathered to voice their uni-
ty in seeing an end to the dispute.

Three days after the protest rally,
both sides concluded negotiations for
a first collective agreement.

After the workers joined the I.W.A.
the management hired three more
workers who are relatives. Those
workers became scabs when the
walkout began, as the employer used
them to try to break the strike.

Included in the 3 year agreement
are wage adjustments for various job
categories. Housekeepers have had
their wages hiked from $7.55 to
$9,08/hr. in the first year alone.

In addition to the wage adjust-
ments, all workers will receive across-
the-board wage increases of 3% in
each of the final two years of the con-
tract.

The I.W.A. also got the workers an
employer-paid benefit package which
includes medical, dental, and extend-
ed health care. A long term disability
plan will kick in next January.

“This is a good first agreement,”

8/LUMBERWORKER/APRIL, 1997

e Striking Local 1-3567 members included (1. to r.) Trisha Poisson, Glyde Miller, Helen Mercredi, Edie Williams, and

says Brother Olson. “The workers
have come a long way from where
they were.”

On the list of union demands was
the issue of dignity in the workplace.
The workers want access to their own
lunchroom and washroom facilities.
They have been forced to take their
lunches in the hotel’s guest laundry
room. When there are too many
guests in the room there is no place to
sit down.

They have had to use the washroom
facilities in the guest jacuzzi room as
well. The front desk clerk has had to
lock things up and go to washroom fa-
cilities in the hotel’s meeting room or
the jacuzzi, and leave reception
phones ringing off the hook.

Edie Williams, one of the sub-local
union leaders and workers’ voice on
the negotiating committee says that
using guest facilities for washroom
and eating facilities is embarrassing
and that this must change.

She also says that all nine of the
striking members are strong in their
support for each other and stuck to-
gether during the strike.

“We are happy with the first agree-
ment,” she says. “Things are a bit
rocky at the start but we expect them
to get better with time.”

Before the strike began, one worker
with four kids asked for a small raise.
The manager and hotel owner laughed
at the request.

“That’s when we decided to go for
the union and the I.W.A.,” says Glyde
Miller a front desk clerk at the hotel.

Sister Williams and fellow worker
Helen Mercredi led the nine workers,
eight of who are women, to unioniza-
tion.

The strikers also sought medical,
dental, long term disability and other
benefits as part of the settlement.

The whole issue of representing
workers outside of the forest industry
is one that the I.W.A. is proud to take
on.
Newly elected national president
Dave Haggard was in attendance at
the rally to make the point that the

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union stood solidly behind the strik-
ers.

At the rally he said the union is ac-
tively organizing outside traditional
areas and the PoCo is strike is “an ex-
ample of what we have to be success-
ful in.”

“We are going to remain behind the
picket lines until we find a fair and
just resolve (for) the people that are
working here,” said Brother Haggard.

He told the crowd that the I.W.A. no
longer represents wood workers and
that workers of all ages and walks of
life must have the right to join the
union of their choice in order to fight
for dignity, better wages and working
conditions.

Haggard said that low wages only
perpetuate poverty and put employees
at the whim and discretion of the
boss.

“That is not acceptable to the
LW.A., it is not acceptable to the trade
union movement and is sure not ac-
ceptable to the Best Western (union
employees) in Port Coquitlam,” he
added.

“How can you think for one minute
that workers at $7.00/hr. wouldn't
wake up and understand too that they
have the same rights of every working
man and woman across this country.”

The national I.W.A. president used
the occasion to serve notice to all em-
ployers, who treat their employees
disrespectfully, that the I.W.A. will be
there to represent the democratic
rights of workers.

Haggard pledged two extra weeks
of strike assistance for each worker.

Local 1-3567 President Sonny Ghag
spoke at the rally and said that dona-
tions in support of the PoCo strikers
came in from all over the local union
and that each worker would receive
an extra $1,000.00 to help out during
the tough times.

“The support from other local union
members helped the PoCo Inn strik-
ers get an agreement that they were
looking for,” he said, in an interview
with the Lumberworker.

He pointed out that the money the
employer has spent on security
guards and camera surveillance equip-
ment, could have easily been used to
solve the dispute.

Sister Williams said that the strike
had been very effective in slowing
down business at the hotel, which has
51 suites. At one point only twelve
rooms at a time were occupied. Nor-
maily the hotel is booked to 85-100%
occupancy, 12 months a year.

Williams says that the strike re-
ceived strong support from people in
Port Coquitlam and nearby Maple
Ridge.

Dave Tones, now national third vice
president of the union and a former
president of local 1-3567 said that the
hotel owner was determined to take a
strike on.

“By the time we finish here, we will
have a collective agreement with the
employer or he won't own the hotel,”
said Brother Tones, in an interview
with the Lumberworker during the
strike.

Dave Rice, a regional representative
with the Canadian Labour Congress,
was on hand at the rally to offer sup-
port on behalf C.L.C. President Bob
White and B.C. Federation of Labour
Secretary Treasurer Angela Schira.

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Sonny Ghag.

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° I.W.A. National President Dave Haggard attended February rally to reaffirm
union's support for service industry workers. Left is Local 1-3567 President