"You are fighting for all workers"

NDP leader Jagmeet Signh was greeted like a rock star this weekend when he visited the picket lines of Unite Here local 40 members who are on strike. These 1,200 workers at four Vancouver hotels have been on strike for four weeks. On Monday, NDP leader Jagmeet Singh joined their picket line along with hundreds of strikers and their supporters. The four hotels are the Rosewood Hotel Georgia, Hyatt Regency, Westin Bayshore, and Pinnacle Harbourfront.

The hotels are owned by four different corporations based in the US, Hong Kong and Canada, collectively they have tens of billions of dollars in revenue each year. These corporations are all united in their determination to pay poor wages and provide unsafe working conditions. The hotel workers are on strike over wages, job security and workplace safety. Workers and their supporters have been especially critical of hotel managements refusal to deal with sexual harassment and assault by hotel guests.

In his comments to the crowd, Mr Singh told the workers, “You’re fighting not just for yourselves, you are fighting for all workers. You are going to win. I support you.” After the rally he was mobbed by fans asking for selfies.

His words were prescient, early Tuesday morning union negotiators were able to reach an agreement with three of the four hotels. The strike continues at the Rosewood Hotel Georgia.