UNITE HERE Local 40
UNITE HERE Local 40 represents workers throughout British Columbia who work in hotels, food service, and airports. Local 40 is part of the UNITE HERE International Union, representing 300,000 workers in the hotel, food service, airport and gaming industries throughout Canada and the U.S. The Union has a diverse membership that includes workers from many immigrant and First Nations communities. The majority of UNITE HERE members are women. Through organizing, UNITE HERE members have made hotel housekeeping jobs and thousands of other traditionally low wage jobs into good, family-supporting, middle class jobs.
My Role
I have done design work for UNITE HERE Local 40 for many years, and took the position of Communications Specialist for the organization in late 2018. I regularly appeared on national TV and radio as spokesperson for the Union during the controversial 2019 downtown Vancouver hotel strikes, and was responsible for all communications and graphics including press releases, social media, photography, video, signage, shirt designs, etc. During my time at the Union, I more than doubled UNITE HERE Local 40's social media following, increasing engagement within the membership as well as with community groups, allied unions and politicians. I also had the opportunity to collaborate with many City Councillors and MLAs in pro-labour causes across the province, including partnering with MP Jagmeet Singh for a rally in downtown Vancouver.
Work Showcased
Shown below is a selection of designs completed for the Union from 2013 to 2020, including the 2019 downtown Vancouver hotel strikes and political campaigns. I created campaign designs for Ferdinand Ramos, a hotel worker who ran for City Council in the 2014 Vancouver civic elections. Ramos did not make Council but received 8,000 votes, capturing the attention of politicians, hotel workers and their employers. In 2019 I helped UNITE HERE Local 40 lead a highly successful Facebook campaign and rally to combat pervasive sexual harassment in the hospitality industry. The Vancouver City Council responded by unanimously passing a motion to have the City play a leadership role in ending sexual violence in the hospitality and service industries.
“I am one of Vancouver’s 10,000 hotel workers who make our city prosper.
My wife and I immigrated here, worked hard and sent our kids to college.
Hotel workers should have a voice on city council.”
-Ferdinand Ramos
My wife and I immigrated here, worked hard and sent our kids to college.
Hotel workers should have a voice on city council.”
-Ferdinand Ramos
