The president of Unite Here Local 40 is refusing to answer questions about controversial tactics to filibuster Vancouver city council meetings.
“I’m taking those concerns seriously,” was all president Zailda Chan would say about what happened last week.
During a public hearing on July 22, several callers opposing a Vancouver urban planning proposal acknowledged to council that they were not local and some were from California.
The next day, a union spokesperson acknowledged that they reached out to U.S. supporters.
On the heels of this controversy, at Monday’s public hearing about a different development, some speakers scheduled on the phone did not show up.
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They are believed to be the same out-of-town callers from last week.
Coun. Peter Meiszner said out-of-town callers can prevent people who actually live in the city from weighing in on a topic.
“It’s super frustrating not just for councillors, but I think especially for Vancouver residents who have waited hours to be able to call in and give their feedback on, you know, proposals that actually impact their lives,” he told Global News.
The Unite Here Local 40 union represents hotel, food service and airport workers.
Members have spoken out before against a floating hotel and other developments, saying Vancouver has an affordability crisis.
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