Hilton Vancouver Metrotown workers ratified their new contract with hotel management, according to a press release from the workers' union.
UNITE HERE Local 40 members ratified the contract by 89 per cent on Nov. 14, it said.
"Their new contract improvements include better access to supplies and equipment, a reduction in the number of floors housekeepers must travel daily, the strengthening of fair assignment of work and no new duties assigned to room attendants without the union's consent," stated the release, sent by union spokesperson Amarjeet Kaur Chhabra.
The banquet department received an increase of service charges and transparency on banquet gratuities, she added.
There was also a reduction in the number of hours required for health care coverage, pension contribution increases and significant wage increases, according to Chhabra.
The hotel workers returned to the negotiation table on Nov. 8 after the hotel management made a new contract offer.
The UNITE HERE Local 40 hotel workers were without a contract since June 2010 and had been negotiating a new contract since June 2011.
The union wanted a safe and sustainable workload for room attendants, fair compensation for banquet workers and adequate wages for all the workers, a previous press release from the union stated.
On Nov. 3, 143 members voted to strike, out of a total of 155 at the meeting, according to Hilton laundry supervisor Monina Aprong.
Aprong has worked at the Hilton since it opened, she said in a phone interview with the NOW at the beginning of November.
"We have a lot of issues," she said, listing wages, pensions, retroactive pay, benefits, and safety and wellness concerns.
"We're working so hard, the work is so physical," she said.
"We're fighting for respect, too," Aprong said, adding they wanted their concerns acknowledged.
"They need to address these issues, and make some improvements," she said.
The union wanted the same wages for Hilton Metrotown workers that it negotiated with the Greater Vancouver Hotel Employers Association for Vancouver hotels last year, she said.
The association ratified a four-year collective agreement with Vancouver hotel workers last December after their contract ran out in June 2010.
The agreement included wage increases of $1.84 per hour over the four-year contract.
"We want a fair contract," Aprong said. "We have the same needs as the downtown workers."
Ed Jaskula, general manager of Hilton Vancouver Metrotown said it was a difficult time for everyone.
The hotel was affected by the recession, but employees are facing increasing costs, as well, he added.
"I hope there'll be a solution at the end that will be the best one for everyone," Jaskula said during the negotiations.
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