CEIU writes Delta Hotels on treatment of members with special needs

Mr. John L. Pye
President, Delta Hotels
100 Wellington Street West, Suite 1200
Toronto, Ontario, M5K 1J3

Dear Mr. Pye,

In September 2005, our union held its triennial convention at the Delta hotel in Regina. Over 260 delegates and observers were lodged at the hotel over a period of five days and most patronized your dining and beverage facilities. In most respects, we were pleased with the work of your staff and appreciated their efforts on our behalf. However, on the critical issue of accommodating the special needs of our members with disabilities, your hotel fell short of providing what they deserved.

The staff of my union received ever changing commitments from the hotel over the arrangements for a member with a hearing disability. This became a distressing matter for the member concerned and a source of frustration for my staff who were charged with making the appropriate arrangements.

A member with a mobility disability required a walk-in shower which, we were advised, was not provided in any of your rooms. On arrival, the member concerned discovered that such showers did exist in a limited number of suites. It was only after a number of discussions that hotel staff finally agreed to provide the needed accommodation.

Until we can be assured that Delta has taken the steps necessary to make their facilities fully welcoming to those with special needs, our union will boycott your hotels. In addition, we will be urging the Public Service Alliance of Canada, of which we are a component union, to similarly boycott your facilities.

Yours truly,

Jeannette Meunier-McKay
National President