MONTREAL -- In order for the city’s tourism, hotel and restaurant industries to recover from the impact caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, a Quebec union is calling for a 12-month prolongment of the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB).
According to Syndicat des Métallos, of the 4,000 members from its Local 9400 section, 90 per cent are affected by layoffs. It says for tourism, hotels and restaurants, recovery amid the pandemic will be slower than other sectors because of travel bans and social distancing measures.
The union wants to help develop a rescue plan that would allow workers and businesses to survive the crisis. If the pandemic ends during the off-season, workers in the tourism, hotel and restaurant sectors will find themselves in dire situations without the CERB, said union representative Luc Julien.
Local 9400 says it is in talks with employers to protect workers' rights amid the pandemic, particularly when it comes to employment status, vacation and group insurance.
Much like the Quebec government, the union is asking Quebecers to shop locally when the holidays roll around.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 18, 2020.
