| To Hospitality and Gaming members,
COVID-19 is having an extraordinary impact on workers—these are truly unprecedented times. The pandemic leaves no sector unscathed and we understand how challenging the economic hardship is that COVID-19 has brought to the gaming and hospitality industry.
The union is fighting hard against a history of cuts to this sector, including mass privatization. Every workplace has been impacted by COVID-19 and requires a unique approach to deal with the subsequent impact on workers.
We recognize that there have been many questions and concerns regarding eligibility and applying for Employment Insurance (EI). For more information on applying for EI, please visit  unifor.org/COVID19 and review the Checklist for Income Replacement (under Resources).
The union is monitoring the situation closely and is demanding bold, immediate action be taken by government and employers to protect workers’ health, safety, and livelihood during this crisis.
While recent announcements from the federal government are helpful, such as investments in the federal work-sharing program and subsidies for maintaining employment, we still have a lot of work to do to ensure the well-being of those most affected. In particular, we are calling for hospitality and gaming employers to protect workers’ income and benefits amidst shutdowns, layoffs, and work shortages. On a federal level, we call for bold income assistance and robust changes to EI to meet the immediate needs of Canadians facing lost wages due to the pandemic.
Unifor has developed an information hub (unifor.org/COVID19) containing resources on how your union is responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, some of these resources include: Follow us on Facebook (facebook.com/UniforCanada) and Twitter (twitter.com/UniforTheUnion) to stay up-to-date on Unifor’s response to COVID-19 as new information emerges.
It is of critical importance to us that you feel supported by your union during these extraordinary times. If you have questions or concerns, please contact a shop steward in your workplace, or your Local Union executive.
We will continue to monitor the situation closely, and will keep in contact with more information as it becomes available.
In solidarity,
Deb Tveit, Assistant to the President
Jim Woods, National Representative
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Unifor is Canada’s largest union in the hospitality and gaming sector with 20,000 members across the country, and as such, we believe it is important for Unifor’s Hospitality and Gaming Council to comment on the impact of COVID-19 on our industry and the measures we can take to reduce the risk for workers and the travelling public *** |
