Toronto's Broadview Hotel is set to enter talks with the union representing its employees after staff members alleged management has been using the COVID-19 pandemic as an excuse to dismantle labour organizing efforts. 

Sarah Tauriello, who has worked at the hotel as a server for three years, said in an email to blogTO that when the city announced Phase 2 staff "became suspicious that the company was using the reopening as a strategy to get rid of the union."

Tauriello alleges management did not respect seniority when hiring back a "skeleton crew" after the hotel temporarily closed in March.

One server who was key to the labour effort was not brought back, which seemed to be a deliberate choice by the higher-ups, Tauriello alleges. 

so Toronto's Broadview Hotel is union-busting in the middle of the pandemic. the hotel is co-owned by Streetcar Developments, one of the most visible private funders of the arts in the east end. investing in "culture" while crushing labour, including artists! pic.twitter.com/ljX1uTIf5g

— abolition wanter (@fondfaun) August 14, 2020

After rebuffing requests for a negotiation date, Tauriello claims management proposed a meeting that would take place after employees on a six-month recall list would be terminated permanently. 

A petition was created last week and workers threatened to take to the picket lines, organizing group Broadview United said in an Instagram post that workers "now get to keep our temporary layoff status until after negotiations have concluded." 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Broadview United (@broadview.united) on Aug 15, 2020 at 12:34pm PDT

A conciliator has now been appointed by the province's Ministry of Labour to force the company to the bargaining table.

Broadview Hotel has not returned blogTO's request for comment.