Strike averted at Victoria's Inn at Laurel Point after workers reach deal for wage increase

(Inn at Laurel Point/Facebook)

Union workers at a high-end hotel in Victoria say they will not go on strike after a deal was reached with the hotel.

Some 98 per cent of union workers at the Inn at Laurel Point voted in favour of a new contract, which includes a wage increase of at least 20 per cent over four years, retroactively starting from June 2022 to February 2026.

"By the end of the new contract, cooks will earn 25 per cent more in wages over the previous agreement, while room attendants will earn 26 per cent more," said Unite Here Local 40 in a release Thursday.

Meanwhile, workers who receive tips can now review management records to ensure their tips are being properly distributed, and management can no longer create tipping pools.

Front desk stuff also have new protections for sales commissions under the new contract.

The union workers issued a 72-hour strike notice on April 27.

It came after more than 100,000 federal workers issued a strike notice on April 19, affecting communities across the country, including on Vancouver Island.

The Public Service Alliance of Canada union strike ended on May 1 after the union reached a tentative agreement with the federal government.

"I'm very proud that we all stuck together to attain a living wage, given Victoria's high rate of inflation," said Aaron Walters, server at Inn at Laurel Point’s Aura Restaurant.

"I hope this inspires other unions and workers to demand what is fair and just for them as well."