VANCOUVER — The union representing hospitality workers across the country says it fears staff laid off because of COVID-19 may not have a job when the pandemic is over.

The challenges facing workers are unprecedented, with more than 90 per cent of employees in hotels, airports, stadiums, universities and schools out of work since March, said Ian Robb, the Canadian director of Unite Here.

“That is why we’re putting forward three essentials that Canada’s hospitality workers need for a fair and safe recovery in our industry,” he told a news conference Thursday.

The union representing 300,000 workers says it wants to protect jobs, ensure it is safe for workers to return to their workplaces, and get income support for those who are laid off.

Too few employers are using the federal wage subsidy program to keep workers tied to their jobs, and all levels of government need to do to more to avoid long-term unemployment in the sector, Robb said.

Analysts predict the $102-billion industry may not fully recover until the summer of 2022, leading to uncertainty for tens of thousands of workers and their families, he said.

“We’re calling on various levels of government to be creative and to work with us, Unite Here, Canada, to avert long-term unemployment,” Robb said.

The Canadian Emergency Response Benefit is at the centre of the debate as employers recall workers who are concerned about the effects of the pandemic.