The sound of chants, whistles and drum beats filled the air outside a downtown Toronto hotel Thursday night as a crowd of hospitality workers gathered to demand salary increases amid skyrocketing accommodation costs during Taylor Swift’s concerts in the city.
Unite Here Local 75, the union representing 8,000 hospitality workers in the Greater Toronto Area, says Fairmont Royal York employees have not seen a salary increase since 2021, and have been negotiating a new contract with the hotel since 2022.
Employees of Royal York and other hotels rallied as Swift began her series of six sold-out concerts in Toronto, with the last show scheduled for Nov. 23.
Shelli Sareen, the union’s secretary treasurer, said the rally aims to highlight the need for fair compensation for hospitality workers amid soaring profits for the industry during the concert period.
“Our members are predominantly women. They are people of colour. They are the …