Aleksandra Pressey shared her comments with Canadian HR Reporter, emphasizing that once an employer becomes aware of a potential union-organizing drive, hurried concessions (like sudden wage hikes, bonuses, or improved conditions) and unusual, intensified messaging can be viewed as unlawful interference.
See an excerpt below:
When ‘status quo’ crosses the line in union drives
What can you say? What can’t you say? Employment lawyers provide answers after B.C. hotel’s missteps show even well‑intentioned moves can cross the line in union campaigns
A luxury Vancouver hotel that promised to “keep the status quo” and fix worker concerns “by next week” has been ordered unionized, after a labour board found the employer’s scramble to offer wage hikes, bonuses and better conditions amounted to unlawful union interference.
British Columbia’s Labour Relations Board concluded the downtown EXchange Hotel’s housekeeping meeting in 2024 — where management agreed to employees’ wish list and floated pay increases to match “the big hotels” — was a calculated attempt to stop a union-organizing drive in its tracks.
The employer went on to send a pre‑vote email emphasizing its “direct relationship” with staff and instructing managers to reach out to workers at home, a pattern the board labelled a “hit hard, hit early” response that justified remedial certification of the union.
For employers, the case is a reminder that reacting to union whispers with hurried concessions and tightly targeted messaging can backfire — even where the employer believes it is simply “listening” and correcting problems.