June 9, 2010

Erik Van Rossum was confirmed at Local 8’s general membership meeting as the new Principal Officer of UNITE HERE Local 8. Erik succeeds Rick Sawyer, who has accepted the position of UNITE HERE Northwest Director.

“I am excited to continue building a fighting union that challenges the disrespect, low wages, lack of benefits, and difficult working conditions that are too common in our industries,” Van Rossum said.

UNITE HERE Local 8’s top priority is organizing in the hotel and food service industries. “The corporations we deal with have continued to make money while workers suffer in this economy. It is time to reverse this trend and bring accountability to the hospitality industry in the Northwest. I am very thrilled to be part of this fight,” he added.

In addition, Rick Sawyer’s promotion to the newly created position of Northwest Director brings increased focus by our international union to the region, strengthening Local 8’s position entering the important upcoming contract and organizing campaigns in 2010 and 2011.

October 9, 2009

The federal government certified union at the Doubletree Arctic Club Hotel in Downtown Seattle

We are excited to announce that there is a new unionized hotel in downtown Seattle!  The workers at the Doubletree Arctic Club Hotel – located at the corner of 3^rd Ave. and Cherry St. – have successfully organized and first collective bargaining agreement.

“We workers at the Arctic Club are proud of our hotel, we love the building and now we are proud to be a part of Local 8” said Ross Kavanaugh, a member of the organizing committee who works at the hotel as a restaurant and banquet server.  “The organizing campaign brought us workers together as one and we look forward to making our hotel an even better place to work in the future” Kavanaugh added.

This is the first new hotel to be organized in downtown Seattle in quite some time and UNITE HERE Local 8 is proud to welcome these workers into our union.  This successful campaign is part of a new phase of Hotel Workers Rising, which saw its Seattle kick-off during the Westin contract fight in 2006.

“It is wonderful and comforting to know that the Doubletree Arctic Club Hotel has become the first new union hotel in the downtown Seattle area in many years” said Lina Evangelista, who works in the hotel’s laundry department.

We look forward to winning a strong contract so that the Doubletree Arctic Club Hotel workers can enjoy the same benefits that Local 8 members enjoy across the state, including regular wage increases; affordable and accessible family health insurance; a fair discipline procedure; a voice on the job; and a safe workload.

The hotel opened in the summer of 2008 and is housed in the historic Arctic Building, which is two blocks from City Hall. There are 120 rooms, a full service restaurant (Juno), and an upscale lobby bar.