The union representing thousands of hotel and hospitality workers across Canada says its members were among the first hit by the COVID-19 crisis and desperately need help.

Leaders of UNITE HERE say the union’s more than 18,000 members were some of the first laid off as hotels and restaurants closed, and expect to be among the last rehired as tourism slowly recovers.

Photo credit: Canadian Press

Zalida Chan, president of the Unite Here local in Vancouver says the first step is an 80% income replacement that keeps the mainly immigrant, single parent, female workers close to pre-crisis wages.

She says the union also must be part of the conversation when governments mull the use of shuttered hotels as care centres for COVID-19 patients.