The International AIDS conference ended on a sour note Friday after as many as 70 Delta Chelsea Hotel employees were suspended in a dispute between the hotel and unionized employees over workers wearing AIDS buttons.Unite Here Local 75 spokesperson Andrea Calver, who is among the workers suspended, said the AIDS ribbon buttons are being worn by employees in 25 hotels across Toronto in support of the 2006 International Aids Conference that ended in Toronto on Friday, but the Chelsea is the only one known so far to take issue with workers wearing them.
The union represents 8,000 hotel workers in the Toronto area.
Calver said two Chelsea employees were suspended Thursday for showing up with the pins on after being told not to wear them anymore.
Seventy other employees showed up for work Friday vowing not to take theirs off in a show of solidarity.
Calver said all 70 have now been suspnded indefinitely.
Delegates at the conference who were guests of the hotel later joined employees in a loud and angry protest outside the hotel on Gerrard St. in Toronto.
Many delegates expressed disgust over the way the hotel is handling what they called a sensitive issue.
One of the key topics at the conference was how to deal with AIDS in the workplace, Gerard Audaz, a conference delgate from France, told CTV News.
"We're here at an international AIDS conference where we're trying to set a partnership between the workplace and the management," agreed Alan Leather, a delegate at the conference from Geneva. "And they're showing complete disrespect for workers who are actually prepared to stand up and do something about HIV and AIDS."
Calver said Friday will be a busy day at the hotel as the conference ends and people start checking out.
The union is a sponsor of the International AIDS Conference that ends Friday in Toronto. The hotel is host to union delegates.
(Source:CTV.com) - Thanks Coup for the heads-up
Send Your Comments to the Delta Chelsea ~ Email: comments@deltachelsea.com
1 comment:
A copy of my email to the Delta Chelsea - "I would like to express my distaste for the actions taken by your organization against your employees for showing their support by wearing AIDS buttons. These actions taint the efforts of the many delegates from across the world that attended the conference in what I believe to be a tolerant and compassionate nation. I truly hope The Delta Chelsea will apologize to the affected workers, and the delegates for their short sightedness over such an insignificant expression of support for a world wide crisis.
Shame on you."
Coup
Show your support for the affected staff!!
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