Residence Inn by Marriott workers vote "Yes!" to join the union, UFCW 206

Mississauga, Ont. – February 10, 2014 – Workers at the Residence Inn by Marriott in Mississauga – located near Toronto Pearson International Airport – are the newest members of UFCW Canada Local 206 following a winning unionization campaign in late January. The Residence Inn employees voted overwhelmingly in favour of joining the union after previous attempts to unionize were thwarted by hotel management.

“The courage and persistence of the Residence Inn workers, coupled with a strong will to unionize, were the deciding factors in this successful campaign,” says UFCW Canada Local 206 Organizer David Ragni, who worked with Local 206 Union Representative Joe Blythe and organizers from UFCW Canada's National Office and Local 175 to assist the Residence Inn employees in their efforts to join the union.

The breakthrough victory marks the first time that UFCW Canada has unionized a hotel under the Genesis Hospitality banner. The Manitoba-based private investment group recently purchased the Residence Inn and three other hotels from Concord Hospitality Enterprises, which continues to operate the hotels.

“We look forward to meaningful and productive negotiations with Genesis as we bargain the first union contract for the Residence Inn members under their new employer,” says UFCW Canada Local 206 President Wayne Hanley. "Local 206 is constantly striving to expand our representation in the hotel industry in order to increase our bargaining power and negotiate contracts that provide members with fairness in the workplace and a better way of life."