Hotel Workers Kick off Contract Campaign

Hotel workers and their allies took UNITE-HERE! Local 2’s contract campaign to the streets of San Francisco Aug. 14. Over 1,700 union members and supporters from community organizations rallied at the Local 2 Plaza between the Marriott Hotel and Four Seasons Hotels, marched along Market Street and made a loop to Union Square, passing the Parc 55, Hilton, St. Francis, Grand Hyatt and other hotels along the way.

Hotel contracts affecting 9,000 San Francisco hotel workers expired on Aug. 14. After years of record profitability, which generated a total of $161.1 billion in profit for the national hotel industry from 2002 to 2008, employers are using a 6-month downturn as an excuse to cut jobs and increase the workload for those who remain. In addition there have been rumblings that employers will undercut the citywide standard for healthcare coverage. Now, area hotel workers are coming together to safeguard the low-cost, high quality health care that has become the hallmark of San Francisco hotel union contracts, while working to ensure that staffing levels return when the economy rebounds.

Local 2 President Mike Casey and musician Francisco Herrerra.

Local 2 President Mike Casey said that employers had been preparing for a contract fight for seven months, but so had the union. He said the union wouldn’t let the hotels use the economy as an excuse to weaken contracts. “The corporations who own the hotels are still making hundreds of millions of dollars in profits,” Casey said. “We won’t let them balance their books on the backs of workers.” Casey pointed out that the Marriott, Starwood and Intercontinental chains had made $10 billion in profits over the last six years, including over $330 million in the last six months. He said the union would “go to the table and tell the hotels ‘you will continue to pay for health care for workers and their families and for retirees, and for pensions we can retire on with dignity.’”

Members of the union’s negotiating team spoke at the rally and said the union would fight to maintain the wages and benefits members worked for and fought for. “It’s important to get a contract equal with other cities and a just pension,” said negotiating team member Laura Perrera, a Marriott employee. Sheridan hotel bartender Elsa Buechner said that negotiations were in the early stages and soon the union would find out what the hotels want. “Do they want peace or do they want a fight?” she asked. “It looks like the Starwood wants to cut benefits, but we’re not going to let that happen. We want fully paid health care for workers and their families.” She said that workers had made many sacrifices, including the 53-day lock-out in 2004. “We’re not going to let them take away health care in 2009 or our pensions,” Buechner said. “Our union is a fighting union; we’ve fought many battles. There are many hotels, but we are one union aiming for a citywide contract.”

Former Local 2 president Sherry Chiesa, who now works for the international union, told the workers, “You have much to be proud of in Local 2. You have some of the best benefits in the country, that were won through years of bargaining with the bosses.” She said that a s a 35 year member of the union, “I am proud to say that in 35 years we have never gone backwards, and this year is no different. We are negotiating around continuing and maintaining the benefits we have gained.” She also said the union would not allow the industry to use the economic situation to undercut the gains made by the union.
Board of Supervisors President David Chiu was introduced by Casey as a strong supporter of the union. “We’ve been fortunate to have many friends in City Hall,” Casey said. “And five years ago we had great community support, including from David Chiu.” Chiu was elected to the Board last November with strong support from labor.

Looking out on the diverse crowd of hotel workers, Chiu said, “I wish you could see what I see in this crowd. You are the beautiful mosaic of San Francisco and of the state, and of Local 2. You do backbreaking work, moving luggage, cleaning rooms. Without you our economy and tourism industry would be crippled.” Chiu reiterated the Board of Supervisors’ full support for the union, saying, “We in City Hall are united with you. All we are asking of the hotels is that you are treated fairly. They are still making a profit in this economy.”

Also speaking at the rally was Franciscan priest Father Louis Vitale, who Casey noted had been arrested for civil disobedience many times over the years while supporting unions and social justice causes. Vitale led the crowd in chants of “Si, se puede!” Singer-songwriter Francisco Herrera led the crowd in singing union songs, including one written during the 2004 lock-out. A sound system was provided by the International Association of Theatrical and Stage Employees, Local 16. Other union members in attendance were from the Teamsters and National Union of Healthcare Workers.

A large contingent of students, including members of the Chinese Progressive Association, also marched, along with musicians from the Brass Liberation Orchestra.

Local 2 Secretary-Treasurer Lamoin Werlein-Jaen said that contracts for Gate Gourmet and other concessionaires at San Francisco International Airport would be expiring in October, and contracts with San Mateo County hotels would expire later in the year. He said the union would fight for fair contracts throughout SF and San Mateo counties.

UNITEHERE! Local 2 has 13,000 hospitality workers throughout San Francisco and San Mateo Counties. Members work in hotels, restaurants, clubs, and other food service facilities, providing service to millions of guests every year.

The union held a Labor Day Rally and March Monday, Sept. 7, 11am at Justin Herman Plaza in San Francisco.

- Paul Burton