Airline catering and airport workers from Dulles and National Airports joined protesters at Dulles International Airport today to rally against President Trump’s second immigration order, also known as Muslim Ban 2.0. The majority of airline catering and airport workers at Dulles and National Airports are immigrants, including many refugees.
Workers and allies also called on the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) to expand its living wage policy to ensure immigrant and refugee workers can support their families.
“Most of the workers at the D.C. airports are immigrants,” said Aschalew Asabie, a utility worker at the airport. “Many of the food, retail, and airline catering workers at the airport work 2 or even 3 jobs, all at the airport, just to make ends meet.”
“We are the Union of hospitality workers, including thousands of workers at airports across the U.S., who everyday welcome travelers and refugees from all over the globe.
“The Trump Administration is fooling nobody; today’s order is another Muslim and refugee ban, despite a few surface tweaks. This administration has been adamant about targeting a group of individuals based on their faith, including some of the world’s most vulnerable refugees. These orders are reckless, dangerous and fuel anti-American sentiment to make us less safe.
“But since inauguration day, we’ve seen what we can do when we resist this kind of ugliness together. Our members – immigrant, refugee, and native-born – will continue to build power and defend our sisters and brothers against attacks in their workplaces, homes or communities.
“We are inspired to be part of the growing coalition of ordinary people working to realize the American dream: equality and opportunity for all.”
—Maria Elena Durazo, UNITE HERE General Vice-President
“These executive orders are troubling, and hurt those of us with families overseas in the countries targeted by this ban. I have my mother in Yemen who we’ve been trying to get here. And even though I’m a U.S. citizen, I’m too scared to risk visiting her because who knows what Trump might try to change before I would be able to return home.
“But Trump thinks the changes to this travel ban mean people won’t respond with protests like we did the last time. But he’s wrong. We’re not going to back down. We’re just going to grow stronger. Because if these attacks can happen to our Muslim communities, they can happen to anyone. So, we have to stick together and fight.”
—Ali Shohatee, MGM Detroit Shop Steward/UNITE HERE Local 24 Executive Board Member
Labor will have a direct voice represented in the Democratic National Committee. At last week’s DNC winter meeting in Atlanta, UNITE HERE General Vice-President of Immigration, Civil Rights and Diversity, Maria Elena Durazo, was elected Vice-Chair in a first-round ballot victory. She was the only national labor leading running for an executive position in the DNC, as well as the only Latina woman. Now, more than ever, the Democratic Party needs Maria Elena’s leadership to elevate the voices of all working people, and her experience helping get Democrats elected and flipping red states blue. Maria Elena was elected with more votes than any other winning candidate, proving just how much the DNC members understand the importance of labor’s role for moving the party forward in the next four years and beyond. ¡Si se puede!
Los Angeles, CA – Maria Elena Durazo, UNITE HERE’s General Vice President for Immigration, Civil Rights and Diversity, has issued the following statement in response to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals’ ruling against reinstating President Trump’s travel ban, targeting Muslim immigrants:
“The Ninth Circuit’s unanimous ruling against Donald Trump’s unAmerican ban on Muslims and refugees is a victory for the Constitution of the United States. It is a victory for the principles of justice and democracy and it is a stinging rebuke to the hateful agenda of the Trump Administration. This is a country of immigrants that has long served as a beacon of hope for the ‘tired, the poor and the huddled masses yearning to breathe free.’ Every generation of immigrants has worked to build our nation, in the mines and as cooks. Donald Trump does not represent the promise and hope of America.
“The decision by the Court is a sign that our country will continue to live up to its ideals. We must all continue to mobilize every day to build a progressive movement that can win victories like this, through the courts and through non-violent public actions.”
— Maria Elena Durazo, UNITE HERE General Vice President for Immigration, Civil Rights and Diversity
BOSTON, MA—UNITE HERE Local 26 members who work in food service at Northeastern University announced today they will hold a 1-day strike starting at 12:00 noon on Friday, January 20. Workers will walk off the job to march with students to rallies in Boston during President-Elect Donald Trump’s Inauguration.
“We call on our country’s leaders to join us and the majority of people who share the values of equality and prosperity for all,” said UNITE HERE Local 26 President Brian Lang. “There can be no compromise on our values.”
UNITE HERE Local 26 dining hall workers at Harvard held a 3-week strike in October.
What: Food service workers at Northeastern University to strike and join protests during President-Elect Donald Trump’s inauguration
Who: Northeastern Food service workers joined by students of Northeastern University and other Local 26 members
When: Workers will begin the strike at 12:00 noon on Friday, January 20, 2017 and will resume work on the morning shift Saturday, January 21, 2017.
Where: at Northeastern University with a march to Boston Common and other protest locations throughout the day
The 2016 election sounded a powerful wake up call for America and the labor movement. As Congress organizes itself, a new Trump Administration is formed, and the Democrats decide who is to lead their party, we have a choice: learn what works and start to win again, or repeat the same mistakes and end up with more of the same results.
Our Union re-learned two key lessons this election cycle. First, we win when workers talk to our neighbors, and lose when we don’t. Second, issues matter – health care, immigration, jobs, and wages. And we took both directly to the doorstep.
We had important successes based on this approach. Nevada was the only swing state to vote blue. Working with allies in Nevada, we won for Hillary Clinton, elected Catherine Cortez Masto the first latina Senator in US history and elected Ruben Kihuen, the son of a Culinary Union member, to the House. Nevada flipped two GOP incumbent House seats and turned both state legislative chambers from red to blue, the only state to do either. With an inspiring worker, immigrant, faith and student coalition in Arizona, we finally defeated anti-immigrant Sheriff Joe Arpaio, after registering and mobilizing 150,000 voters.
We all know we need to double down on face to face organizing. But our biggest challenge may be just listening to what voters are saying. A huge portion of our members are immigrants fighting for a decent life. Now, they see the Republicans scapegoating their entire communities as rapists and murders. Our diverse membership also see the Republicans attacking their economic security by trying to tax their health care.
The next few months may get very ugly. We are all going to have to stand strong against attacks on immigrants, health care, unions and working people everywhere. In this climate, it’s clear to me that Rep. Keith Ellison will serve ably as the next chairman of the Democratic National Committee. He is an organizer who listens, looks you in the eye and can tell uncomfortable truths. Rep. Ellison gets that elections are won on doorsteps, not in Washington consultants’ offices. That’s why our Union endorsed him.
We also urge DNC members to support Maria Elena Durazo, for one of the DNC Vice-Chair positions. She is the only national labor leader running for this position. She is a union organizer and has the experience of turning California from red to blue.
We must put workers at the center of American politics and the economy. When millions of workers are talking to their neighbors about health care, jobs inequality and justice for everyone in this country, we have a chance to win and win big.
Past and present, immigrants have been at the center of UNITE HERE’s work to end poverty and change lives. We can build even greater power when our members choose to become U.S. citizens and participate fully in American political life.
That’s why UNITE HERE helped 5,180 people in more than a dozen cities complete the process of becoming U.S. citizens in 2016. The flagship of our citizenship programs is run by UNITE HERE’s Culinary Union, which helped over 1,700 Nevada immigrants apply for citizenship.
UNITE HERE members will continue to defend the rights of all workers while carrying the torch for comprehensive immigration reform in the United States.
UNITE HERE once again joined the IUF for their annual Global Week of Action for Hotel Housekeepers from October 31 to November 6. Unions from 34 countries and 50 cities participated in solidarity actions to demand safer working conditions and respect for workers in the world’s hotel industry.
From UNITE HERE, eleven locals coordinated protests, delegations and social media campaigns focused on issues that our members face across the hotel industry, every day, including: sexual harassment, pain and injury from inhumane workloads and deceptive “green programs” that cut costs for hotels but put more burdens on housekeepers. And with this year’s week of action taking place just before the U.S. elections, several locals used the opportunity to draw global attention to political campaigns.
Here are the highlights from the 2016 #FairHousekeeping Global Week of Action:
UNITE HERE Local 100 members attended New York Mayor Bill De Blasio’s bill signing, on October 31st 2016 at city hall, enacting legislation that protects food service workers. This bill requires a 90-day retention period, for food service workers, when an owner or operator terminates a food service contract for a corporate cafeteria, college, arena, or cultural institution.
This bill benefits so many hardworking men and women in the food service industry in New York, along with families, who depend on these jobs. The Worker Retention Bill will give these workers job security by giving them time to plan ahead or stay after an evaluation process by their new employer. “This is a victory, not only for our union members, but for all food service workers in New York City. It is also a victory for employers who now have the opportunity to hire an experienced work force,” said Jose Maldonado, Secretary Treasurer of UNITE HERE Local 100, which represents over 15,000 food service workers.
Members of Local 100 work in landmark locations such as MetLife Stadium, Madison Square Garden, Barclay Center, 21 Club and airports. Members of UNITE HERE and non-union workers alike can breathe a sigh of relief knowing they are now protected from this issue. “Job security is a major factor for me and this bill is great for working people. It’s good to know that people can expect that throughout the city,” Andrew Larrier Vendor at Madison Square Garden.
It’s a tough time for many working people in the United States. Many of us are still reeling from the results of the November 8 election, in which our fellow citizens elected Donald Trump and allowed Republicans to keep control of both houses of Congress.
There were a few bright spots this week. Members of UNITE HERE were critical in keeping the battleground state of Nevada blue and defeating anti-immigrant Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio.
We won those victories by focusing on the issues that matter to workers—those with a union and those without a union. Reaching out to all working people is the only way to build a big enough base to win. It sounds simple, but requires commitment and a long-term organization.
Airline catering and airport workers from Dulles and National Airports joined protesters at Dulles International Airport today to rally against President Trump’s second immigration order, also known as Muslim Ban 2.0. The majority of airline catering and airport workers at Dulles and National Airports are immigrants, including many refugees.
It’s a tough time for many working people in the United States. Many of us are still reeling from the results of the November 8 election, in which our fellow citizens elected Donald Trump and allowed Republicans to keep control of both houses of Congress.