Opting for mediation: Metrotown Hilton workers reject arbitration offer

Good morning, Dustin!

It's been a while since we chatted because I was away in Las Vegas over the long weekend. Going to a city like Vegas really makes me grateful to live in Burnaby. There's no doubt that Vegas is a lot of fun. But there's so much to do there that it's overstimulating. In fact, it's so overstimulating that it begins to feel totally exhausting after a few days. So, returning home and not having to be surrounded by constant noise and lights and being able to find total silence and peace at Burnaby Lake (one of my favourite parks in the city) has felt incredibly nice. It's good to be home!

— Simran Singh, managing editor

Hilton workers reject arbitration offer

Members of Unite Here! Local 40 declined an offer by Hilton Vancouver Metrotown hotel management to enter legally binding arbitration to put an end to the yearlong labour dispute.

Management from the Hilton Vancouver Metrotown (HVM) published a news release on Monday calling the labour dispute potentially "the longest hotel strike in Canadian history."

"In an effort to break the bargaining impasse, HVM has offered to resolve the dispute through binding arbitration. HVM is comfortable having a neutral mediator/arbitrator review both sides’ position[s] and settle the collective agreement by determining what is fair and reasonable," management said.

"We have suggested that, upon agreement to the binding arbitration process, the labour dispute would end."

— Read the full story by Dustin Godfrey here.

BURNABY BULLETIN

📈 Burnaby 1-bed rents up 16.5%: Average rents for a Burnaby one-bedroom apartment in March 2022 were at $1,959, according to the national rent report by Rentals.ca and Bullpen Research & Consulting. That's up 16.5% over March 2021, while two-bedroom units, averaging at $2,398, were up 9.9% year over year, placing Burnaby in 4th for highest rents in the country. Nationwide, the average rents for all residential properties were $1,818 per month, a 6.6% hike over March 2021.

🚠 SFU gondola one of TransLink's new 10-year priorities: TransLink and the Mayors' Council on Regional Transportation included the proposed gondola up to Burnaby Mountain and SFU in Transport 2050's 10-year priorities, alongside a SkyTrain to UBC and a rapid transit connection to the North Shore and others. Burnaby City Council officially endorsed the gondola project in a closed meeting earlier this year, drawing the ire of some Forest Grove residents. TransLink is seeking feedback both on its 10-year priorities and on its 2022 investment plan in a public survey until May 4.

🏆 City of Burnaby wins awards for financial reporting: The city said in a press release on Wednesday that it had won three awards in excellence from the Government Finance Officers Association for its production of "high-quality, easy-to-understand budget documents." This is the eighth year in a row Burnaby has won the Canadian Award for Financial Reporting, and the fourth consecutive year it's taken home both the Popular Annual Financial Reporting Award and the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award.

For our birthday, we want to give YOU a present.

Burnaby Beacon is celebrating its first birthday on April 26! We've teamed up with Soon Coffee (located in the Tables food court at The Amazing Brentwood) for a special giveaway to thank our readers for all their support during our first year.

Here’s how it works:

➡️ From April 26 to 29, we’ll be sending a special birthday code word in our daily newsletter, so keep an eye out for it 👀
➡️ Head to Soon Coffee (between their opening hours from 8am to 6pm) from April 26 to 29 and tell them the special birthday code in order to redeem one drip coffee of any size for free!

On behalf of the entire Beacon team, we want to thank you for your continued readership and for showing us so much love over the past year, and we can't wait to celebrate next week!

📹 Video Lab for Kids - Is your child a budding content creator or video editor? Help them pursue their passions with this free workshop at the Apple Store Metrotown tomorrow at 6:30pm where kids and families can learn to make a movie trailer together!

🧁 BJ Bakery - When it comes to baked goods, the secret ingredient has to be love—and that's what you'll find at BJ Bakery and Deli at 7604 Royal Oak Ave. This family-owned and operated spot has only the freshest European bread, cakes, pastries, and more!

🙋 Trivia time - There can only be one champion. Head to The Rec Room at The Amazing Brentwood on Tuesday nights at 7:30 until June 14 for Fandom Trivia!

🚗 VINN aims to help consumers through the car-shopping process. Save 40 hours in market research and let one of our vehicle experts find your perfect car today, and they do it all for free.*
*Sponsored Listing