A group of Richmond hotels is taking a union and its striking workers to court for allegedly making too much noise on the picket line and harassing employees going to and from work.
The Sheraton Vancouver Airport on Westminster Highway - and its neighbouring sister hotels - filed a notice of claim last Friday at the B.C. Supreme Court against UNITE Here Local 40 and its members, who have been on strike for a month.
According to court documents, the workers on the picket line are creating “intolerable” noise which exceeds bylaw levels from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. each day.
The hotel claims that the noise causes “substantial annoyance and disturbance” to the Sheraton and its neighbouring sister hotels, their guests, employees and the general public and interferes with their “physical, psychological and mental well-being.”
The Sheraton is seeking a court order banning picketers from using microphones, loud speakers, megaphones, blow horns and other tools in the area or making any noise exceeding levels permitted by City of Richmond bylaws.
The Sheraton also alleges the union and its supporters have engaged in “intimidating and harassing conduct towards Sheraton employees who choose to continue working during the strike, as they are lawfully entitled to do.”
According to the notice, picketers repeatedly harassed an employee who crossed the picket line by blocking her from driving home, going to her house and knocking “loudly and incessantly” on her door while shouting at her on two occasions.
“(The employee) fears that she both has been, and will continue to be, followed to and from work by the union, for the purpose of intimidating and threatening her for deciding to cross the picket line,” reads the claim.
It added that the employee has turned down shifts at the hotel in fear of being confronted by the union and its supporters.
The hotel is also asking the court to stop the union and its members from intimidating or interfering with employees and guests, as well as general damages and costs.
The Sheraton’s sister hotels under the same management company, Vancouver Airport Marriott Hotel and Hilton Vancouver Airport, are also plaintiffs in the lawsuit.
UNITE HERE Local 40 members walked off the job on June 14 to demand better pay and working conditions. Since then, they have been picketing daily outside the three hotels and their resident restaurants.
NDP leader Jagmeet Singh joined the picket line last week to show his support for the workers.
The Sheraton has received three cease and desist orders from the BC Labour Relations Board for using illegal replacement employees over the course of three weeks.
The union will have to file a response to the lawsuit within 21 days of being served.
