Rally!

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The Edgewater Hotel

WALL STREET and Alaskan Way

Rally!

Monday, December 19th

4pm – 5pm

Featuring “A Tale of Two Christmases”

Families Welcome!

What do hotel workers want for the Holidays?

  • Job Security
  • Livable Wages
  • Benefits
  • Safe Workloads
  • Dignity
  • JUSTICE!

Background:

Two weeks ago UNITE HERE Local 8 reached a tentative agreement with the Westin Seattle! That agreement includes a guarantee from the owner that Westin workers will keep their jobs even if the hotel is sold. The agreement also includes wage and benefit increases, higher shift minimums, and workload reductions for housekeepers.

It’s a great victory for Seattle, and we could not have done this without community support. The continued pressure had a major impact, and gave great moral support for the workers to hold firm until a favorable settlement was reached.

But we can’t rest until ALL hotels in Seattle have good union standards. As we continue the boycott at the Seattle Hilton until they guarantee job security, we are putting the spotlight on the Edgewater Hotel to demand a fair contract there as well.

The Westin victory shows that when we fight, we win!

Join us at the Edgewater on Monday, December 19th at 4pm to fight for justice in the hospitality industry!


SeaTac Hospitality Workers Clinch Victory for a “99%” City Council

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Biggest Electoral Shift in SeaTac City Council History

SEATAC –  On November 29,2011, the King County Elections Office declared Mia Gregerson the winner in a hotly contested race for SeaTac city council.  The race solidified a victory for progressives in SeaTac, after the landslide victories of Dave Bush and Barry Ladenburg over their conservative opponents earlier this month.

Hospitality workers knocked on over 25,000 doors in support of Gregerson, Bush, and Ladenburg, contrasting the government services and progressive policies that they support with the limited government favored by the opposing candidates.

“We won these elections by having one-on-one conversations with voters about our city,” said Yancai Chen, a SeaTac resident and worker at Gate Gourmet, a food service company based at SeaTac Airport.  “We made real connections with thousands of voters who wanted to see the SeaTac city council focus on issues that matter to working families.  I am so proud of motivating so many voters to take action and determine the future of our city.”

The hospitality workers’ get out the vote efforts significantly increased turnout in SeaTac.  The intensive field campaign involved workers from SeaTac Airport, Hilton SeaTac and SeaTac Doubletree speaking directly to voters from September through November, mostly by doorbelling. Gregerson won the election by just 31 votes, 2317 to 2286.  Longtime incumbent Gene Fisher was handily defeated by challenger Barry Ladenburg 65% to 35%.

“SeaTac is developing rapidly with a thriving hospitality industry, light rail, and the airport,” says Erik Van Rossum, Secretary-Treasure of UNITE HERE Local 8, the hospitality workers union. “With this election the voters have sent a strong message that they want concerns of people, not corporations, to be foremost in the city’s development.”

UNITE HERE Local 8 represents approximately 4,000 workers in Seattle’s hotel and tourism industry and approximately 1,500 workers in the city of SeaTac. For more information visit www.unitehere8.org.

Seattle Hilton Under Boycott – Do Not Patronize!

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Contract negotiations between Seattle’s hotel workers and their employers
heat up after several months of negotiations.

As of October 20th, the Seattle Hilton (6th Ave & University St) is under BOYCOTT. The approximately 100 unionized workers are fighting not only for a fair contract; they are standing up to demand a successorship agreement that would protect their jobs and their Union if the hotel is sold. The hotel’s owner, R.C. Hedreen, put the hotel on the market over the summer and has repeatedly rejected demands to protect workers’ jobs in the event of a sale.

“We could be fired any day when the hotel is sold, and replaced with minimum-wage workers,” says Chuck Cruise, a second-generation bellman at the Seattle Hilton with over 20 years experience. “They have the power to save our jobs as a condition of sale, all we’re asking is that they use that power to take care of their workers. We’ve given them years of loyal service.”

Even in this tough economy, hotels continue to remain profitable through a combination of layoffs, decreased work schedules and increased workloads for staff, burdening a low-wage workforce. According to the industry’s own projections, hotels will be returning to record profits by 2012. UNITE HERE Local 8’s members are demanding their fair share of the recovery. Seattle cannot afford to lose any more good jobs.

The boycott will be in effect until the hotel agrees to protect workers’ jobs if the hotel is sold.

Protect your next hotel event from a possible labor dispute by including force majeure language in your contract: Click here to download a pdf.

Victory!

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Effective immediately, UNITE HERE Local 8 has reached a tentative agreement with the Westin Seattle!

The tentative agreement includes:

  • A guarantee from the owner that Westin workers will keep their jobs and their contract if the hotel is sold
  • Wage and benefit increases
  • Workload reductions for housekeepers
  • Higher shift minimums
  • Updated immigrant rights and LGBT rights language

This is a victory for the workers as well as the Seattle community. At Local 8, we have renewed energy to continue our fight for the 99% at the Hilton Seattle (currently on boycott), the Edgewater, the Space Needle, the Washington Athletic Club, and the Doubletree and Hilton in Seatac. Because…

WHEN WE FIGHT, WE WIN!


Occupy the Westin!

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Workers at the Westin Seattle were joined by Occupy Seattle protesters to demand a fair contract at the Westin. The Westin has so far refused to comply with worker proposals that include wage and benefit improvements and job security protections.  If an agreement is not reached soon, the workers will call for a boycott of the Westin Seattle effective November 16th.

Westin Picket Thursday November 3rd at 4pm

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Join hotel workers in their struggle against corporate greed!

Thursday November 3, 2011
4:00pm – 5:30pm
The Westin Seattle, 5th and Virginia

Workers are standing strong for livable wages and benefits, job security, safe workloads, and the right for other Starwood hotel workers to organize in King County.

With community, labor, and faith groups behind them, workers will fight for respect as long as it takes!

Questions? Contact Jeanne Cameron at 206-470-2988.