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Workers from the Fairmont Royal York hotel in Toronto rallied on Thursday as fans flooded the downtown area to see Taylor Swift.
The singer kicked off the Canadian leg of her Eras Tour later that evening, bringing in hundreds of thousands of fans. She is expected to boost the economy by an estimated $150 million, according to Destination Toronto President Andrew Weir, CP24 reported.
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Meanwhile, more than 300 workers at the Fairmont Royal York gathered before she hit the stage, and called on the hotel to agree to significant raises ahead of Swift’s six-night residency at the Rogers Centre, the workers’ union UNITE HERE Local 75 said in a news release.
“While hotel companies in Toronto are charging fans upwards of $2,000 a night for a room, workers who will serve the influx of Swift fans in Toronto hotels are bargaining for raises that keep ahead of the exploding cost of living,” the news release said.
For one night’s stay at the Royal York on Friday evening, the least expensive room available for booking online through the hotel’s website is listed as $1,259.
In a statement to the National Post, the union said: “We have more bargaining dates coming up. Last night, the company heard our members’ voices loud and clear.”
According to the union, wages have not been raised since November 2021. Negotiations have been underway between the hotel and the union since April 2022.
While some workers made it clear they were happy to welcome guests amid Swift’s stint in Toronto, they felt they were not being properly compensated.
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The union’s secretary treasurer Shelli Sareen said it was “about respect,” per the news release, adding that the union’s members “provide 5-star service” and “deserve a 5-star contract with wages that reflect their hard work they put into the hotel day after day.”
“We want fans to know that while they’re spending so much money here, hotel workers are not getting their fair share,” she said.
The union represents 8,000 hospitality workers in the region. It says that workers from the Royal York have “fallen behind” the standards for its other members working at hotels in the GTA.
The Fairmont Royal York did not immediately return a request for comment.
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