Toronto - The International Union of Food and Allied Workers (IUF) is planning a global day of action on June 24th in defense of workers’ right to organize unions, the Toronto Media Co-op has learned.

The union is targeting Paris-based Accor, one of the largest hotel companies in the world.  In Toronto, workers with UNITE HERE Local 75 (UH 75) are planning a one-day strike action at the Novotel Hotel at 45 The Esplanade, one of several brands of hotels owned and operated by Accor.  IUF and UH 75 say that Accor is violating its commitment with IUF “not to oppose efforts to unionize its employees.”

According to UH 75, workers organizing at Novotel hotels in Canada have faced “multifaceted” forms of management opposition.  The union claims that in Mississauga, management has urged its employees verbally and in writing to “vote no” in a union election and have stopped providing shifts to server Rekha Sharma shortly after she spoke at a union rally outside her hotel over a year ago.  In Ottawa, cook and union organizer Jeff Segat was fired prior to a union vote, despite a having had a positive performance evaluation.

As a result, UH 75 is calling on Accor to: respect the Trade Union Rights agreement signed with IUF, “in particular the commitment not to oppose efforts by its workers to unionise,” to publicly affirm its neutrality and voluntarily grant union recognition where there is evidence of majority support and to reinstate organizers who have been terminated or lost shifts and hours since their campaign went public in November 2008.

The 100 workers at Novotel on the Esplanade will be joined by hotel and food service workers across the GTA.  UH 75 is calling for allies to join them at the picket lines any time from 7am to 7pm and at 4:30pm in particular for a mass rally to show community solidarity and support.