St. Thomas call centre to shutter

Marriott International announces the closure of its St. Thomas reservation centre

THE REGIONAL ECONOMY suffered another pandemic-related blow on Monday when Marriott International announced it will close its St. Thomas call centre this September.

Over 450 employees at the business were told by video conference Monday morning that they will be losing their jobs.

The call centre — which handled reservations for the chain — first opened in 2003 and was formerly part of the Starwood hotel chain before it was bought by Marriott International almost five years ago.

In a statement, Elgin-Middlesex-London MPP Jeff Yurek said the news is very unfortunate for the community.

“I have spoken with the Ministers of Labour and Heritage, Tourism, Culture and Sport Industries requesting that all possible supports be made available to those facing job losses. I will continue to work with [St. Thomas] Mayor [Joe] Preston and local economic development stakeholders to promote our region’s many advantages,” he said.

In a general statement on Facebook, Preston said it was disappointing news from Marriott.

“We will, as a city, do all we can for the employees of the Marriott Call Centre and the owner of the building. Our economic development corporation is already on it today; I’ve been on the phone a number of times today. As community we are waiting for more information, but I’m here to say we’ll be there St. Thomas strong with them.”

According to Marriott, the permanent shut down will affect approximately 480 employees, and while some may be able to continue their employment by working remotely, most positions will be eliminated.