Hospitality workers to rally for higher wages as hotel costs soar during Swift tour

The sound of chants, whistles and drum beats filled the air outside a downtown Toronto hotel Thursday night as a crowd of hospitality workers gathered to demand salary increases amid skyrocketing accommodation costs during Taylor Swift’s concerts in the city.

Unite Here Local 75, the union representing 8,000 hospitality workers in the Greater Toronto Area, says Fairmont Royal York employees have not seen a salary increase since 2021, and have been negotiating a new contract with the hotel since 2022.

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Employees of Royal York and other hotels rallied as Swift began her series of six sold-out concerts in Toronto, with the last show scheduled for Nov. 23.

Shelli Sareen, the union's secretary treasurer, said the rally aims to highlight the need for fair compensation for hospitality workers amid soaring profits for the industry during the concert period.

“Our members are predominantly women. They are people of colour. They are the heart and soul of the hospitality industry,” said Sareen.

“We wanted to draw attention to, while Taylor Swift is an economic force in the city, our members are fighting for their fair share.”

The union, which represents employees including food service workers, room attendants and bell persons, says those who will be serving Swifties during the Toronto stops are bargaining for raises to keep up with the cost of living.

During show weekends, some hotel rooms and short-term rentals in Toronto are priced up to 10 times more than other weekends, with some advertised for as much as $2,000 per night.

Sareen said fans are being “gouged on ticket and hotel prices,” while hospitality workers are often the first people who greet them when they arrive in the city.

Royal York workers have been demanding a wage increase since the COVID-19 pandemic hit the hospitality industry, Sareen said.

Many workers have had to take on multiple jobs to support themselves and their families, Sareen added.

The union says Royal York workers have fallen behind what union members have negotiated at other Toronto-area hotels. Sareen noted that she believes hotel management has been negotiating “in good faith” and further bargaining sessions have been planned.

Fairmont Royal York did not respond to requests for comment.

Grace Guanzon, who has worked at the Royal York as a room attendant for more than 30 years, was among those demonstrating on Thursday. She said she loves her job and providing service to guests, but more compensation is needed to get by.

"We would like to send a message to our employer that we're really serious about this rally today," Guanzon said, noting that many workers, including those at other city hotels, had taken the day off to join them.

A wage increase would make a big difference in their lives, she said.

"Our family, our transportation, our rent, our housing, our groceries, and cost of living — we can't afford that anymore, and we cannot wait any longer," Guanzon said.  

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 14, 2024.