Pact provides contracts and process for workers to join union, ends global Hyatt boycott

CHICAGO (July 1, 2013)—Today Hyatt Hotels Corporation and UNITE HERE, the union of hospitality workers in the U.S. and Canada, announced a national agreement that resolves longstanding disputes between the two organizations. The agreement creates a framework for the company and the union to work together moving forward. Both UNITE HERE and Hyatt hailed the pact as a positive step.

The agreement will go into effect upon the settlement and ratification of union contracts by Hyatt associates in San Francisco, Honolulu, Los Angeles, and Chicago. Pending associate approval, the contracts will provide retroactive wage increases and maintain quality health care and pension benefits. The proposed new contracts would cover associates into 2018.

A key provision of the agreement establishes a fair process, which includes a mechanism for employees at a number of Hyatt hotels to vote on whether they wish to be represented by UNITE HERE. As part of the accord, upon ratification of the union contracts, UNITE HERE will end its global boycott of Hyatt.

D. Taylor, the president of UNITE HERE, said, "We look forward to a new collaborative relationship with Hyatt. This agreement shows that when workers across the hotel industry stand together, they can move forward, even in a tough economy. Both organizations deserve credit for working out this constructive step forward."

"We are delighted that our associates in Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Waikiki will have contracts and the pay raises that go with them," said Doug Patrick, Senior Vice President, Human Resources for Hyatt.

Every day for two weeks, parents and school staff have fasted and rallied on the steps of Governor Tom Corbett’s Philadelphia office, calling for funding that would allow the city’s school district to restore student safety staff to its lunchrooms, hallways and schoolyards.

On July 1, on the heels of a newly approved Pennsylvania budget and Governor Corbett’s support for a Philly school funding package, those who have gone without food or juice for days broke their fast on the steps of the School District of Philadelphia (SDP) offices.

“Today we are celebrating an important, if incomplete, victory for our kids,” said faster Nicole Hunt, who had personally gone 8 days without food to bring attention to the dire situation facing Philadelphia schools.  “The state budget does not do all that it should do for our schools, but we know that SDP can choose to prioritize student safety.”

The Fast for Safe Schools was sparked by the layoff of 1,202 student safety staff, also known as noon-time aides.  The parents and school staff who fasted – and the political, religious and community leaders who supported them – were concerned that students will be in danger without these staff in the schools.

Though SDP has not yet committed to recall the student safety staff, the fasters were confident that SDP too would soon act to prioritize safe schools.

“We fully expect SDP to bring student safety staff back into our schools,” said Roberta Thomas.  “If they don’t, we’ll be right back on these steps.”

Faster Juanita Jones added, “Though we have gone without food for two weeks, we feel strong. We have been overwhelmed by the support Philadelphia has shown us.  We are breaking our fast today eager to work with others who care about our kids to bring lasting success to Philadelphia’s schools.”

Words of support also rolled in from many of the local elected officials, some of whom undertook their own solidarity fasts over the course of the past 15 days. Learn more at www.realfoodrealjobs.org.

“The Fasters gave me a renewed belief, that ordinary people have the power to change public opinion, they were brave with a sincere commitment to public education.”

– Councilwoman María Quiñones-Sánchez

“This campaign raised awareness in Philadelphia, and provided a larger perspective for many people of what it requires to fully and successfully educate a child.  I was pleased to play a small role as a supporter. The commitment of this band of citizens provided additional motivation as I went into budget conversations.  The governor had his priorities. Other people had their priorities – liquor privatization, pensions, and the like. Making sure the Philadelphia public school system has the money to open in the fall with full staffing was my priority. It was the priority.”

-Pennsylvania Senator Anthony Hardy Williams

“I am inspired by those that fasted for School Safety. Their courage and determination motivated me to continue to fight for what was in the best interest of our children.”

– Representative Jordan Harris

On June 20, over 100 hospitality and service industry workers and their children, along with UNITE HERE Local 355 and community organizations, rallied in Miami to protest Senator Rubio’s lack of leadership on immigration reform. Dozens of children and parents held signs and called on Senator Rubio to work toward to a fair and comprehensive immigration policy. Andres Duran Cruz, a steward at the Isle Casino in Pompano Beach, said: “The sons and daughters of service workers and immigrant families have a strong message for Senator Rubio. We say, like him, we are the children of service workers. And like him, we are the children of immigrants.”

Fasters encamp on steps of Governor’s Philadelphia office; call for Commonwealth and City act.

A group of Philadelphia public school parents and lunchroom staff today launched a fast for safe schools. The elimination of more than 1,200 student safety staff from schools across the district, including those on the federal “persistently dangerous” schools list, places Philadelphia’s students in danger. The group has encamped on the steps of Governor Tom Cobertt’s Philadelphia office, where the fast will continue without food or juice until the Commonwealth and City act to prioritize school safety.

“I care about my daughter and grandson,” said faster Earlene Bly, mother of a 9^th grade student and grandmother of a soon-to-be 1^st grader in PSD. “I am making this sacrifice to make sure they have safe schools. I am fasting to show my family and the city how serious this situation really is.”

SUPPORT THE FAST, SEND AN EMAIL TO GOVERNOR CORBETT!

The School District of Philadelphia announced the layoff of over 3,700 employees on June 7th. Student safety staff make up the largest group slated to be cut. Employed in school hallways and lunchrooms across the district, they are often the first workers to defuse tensions, maintain order and deescalate conflicts between students.

In the next two weeks, the Pennsylvania state legislature and Philadelphia City Council will decide whether to supplement school funding, which could allow student safety staff and other school employees to return in the Fall.

“I am fasting for the children,” said faster Patricia Norris, a food service worker at Cayuga Elementary. “When the children won’t go to the principal, when they won’t go to their teacher, they go to the student safety staff. They give them love and knowledge. Without them, school would be a disaster waiting to happen.”

“They want us to succeed, because we are the future,” said Shakur Miller, 17, a Junior at Mastbaum High School. “I support the fast because our student safety staff talk to us, which is something we need to be safe and to succeed.”

Learn more at www.realfoodrealjobs.org/philly

Christian Torres, a UNITE HERE activist and a veteran of the Pomona College Dining hall workers’ union-campaign, was honored at the annual Giants of Justice breakfast held by Los Angeles Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice. Christian was one of 17 workers who were fired when the college investigated workers’ immigration documents in the midst of an organizing campaign. When Christian was fired, he vowed to continue to fight, and when Pomona workers won the union in May, he was there to celebrate with them. Like so many workers who stand up and fight, Christian was transformed by the experience. In his acceptance speech for the Giants of Justice award, Christian said: "I learned that by working through my personal fears, I had the power to stand up to those who are unjust."

Our union is extremely proud of Christian; he exemplifies UNITE HERE’s dedication to fight for the rights of immigrants and workers. We know he will continue to be a leader in our movement. Read the transcript of Christian’s speech.

School Employees, Parents and Students Rally Behind New Recommendations for Real Food, Safer Schools

June 5, 2013 – Amidst uncertainty and doomsday scenarios shrouding the School District of Philadelphia, a new report released today entitled "Inside the Lunchroom: Workers‘ Vision For Real Food and Safe Schools," identifies necessary yet simple solutions for improving the quality of kids’ days away from home. Based on a survey of 434 School District Employees—cafeteria workers and student safety staff (also known as "noon-time aides")— the report highlights two areas of immediate concern to children and their parents in the SDP:

• Safety: In a recent report on ABC’s Nightline (aired on 5/30/2013), the principal of Strawberry Mansions High School, Linda Cliatt-Wyman described lunchtime as "the most scary part of the day for me," remarking on the fact that at lunch time all the students are gathered in one place. 40% of workers surveyed indicated that they had recently witnessed a violent incident where there were not enough student safety staff present to address the situation. Similarly, 35% pointed out that they witness violent incidents every year where there are not enough staff present. It could get much worse — the School District Budget proposed for FY2014 threatens to eliminate all student safety staff (also known as "noon-time aides"). School safety staff want to stay in the schools to protect students and receive additional training on how best to keep them safe in the uncertain fall term.
• Fresh Food: 64% of survey respondents reported that at least half the food we serve is being thrown away. But food workers don’t want to give up on getting kids to eat their veggies. Currently, lunch is prepared in one of two ways: in full-service kitchens, where workers cook and serve fresh food daily, and "satellite" kitchens, where pre-packaged, frozen meals are simply warmed up. 78% of our survey respondents believe that students enjoy fresh food much more than pre-plated food, so workers believe they should have the chance to cook, not just reheat, meals. Many kitchens using the frozen food model have served fresh food in the past.

The rally at 440 N. Broad will highlight these issues, and school safety and food workers will call for more input and better training in crucial decisions affecting the welfare of District students.

"Every day we are more than just safety staff," Migdalia Lopez, a student safety staff member at Bodine High School, says. "We have to act as counselors, nurses, and even social workers sometimes. We try to do our best because we care so much about the students."

"We play an important part in the education too," says Juanita Jones, Lead Food Service Worker at Olney Elementary. "We’re just one big team. The more training we get, the more educated we get in doing our jobs, and the more input that we’re allowed to put into our jobs can only make it better."

Download the report.

After months of organizing and building campus solidarity, workers at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management have successfully joined UNITE HERE Local 1! The roughly 130 workers provide a variety of services – from cooking meals to setting up meeting spaces and cleaning hotel rooms – for guests at Kellogg’s premier conference center and food court in Evanston, IL. Kellogg School of Management is recognized as one of the best business schools in the nation.

"I feel very excited,” said Dorla Strozier, a member of the organizing committee who has worked on the conference center’s wait staff for 10 years. "We haven’t even signed a contract and already we can feel how great it is to all be together in the union."

The workers had the support of students and faculty throughout their effort. "It was incredible. It was amazing to see all the workers standing up for themselves after being quiet for so long. I feel like it’s something the whole Northwestern community can be proud of," said Alex Glancy, a junior in Northwestern’s undergraduate program.

The Kellogg School of Management workers, employees of ARAMARK, join over 200 UNITE HERE Local 1 members who work for Sodexo in Northwestern University’s undergraduate dining halls and student centers. UNITE HERE Local 1 also represents food workers at Loyola University, DePaul University, Chicago State University, Chicago City Colleges and Dominican University.

The Cortos Y Fuertes / Short & Strong student film competition, sponsored by the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor and UNITE HERE, a union representing hotel, hospitality, and food service workers, will announce its Call for Entries for short films created by students about the immigrants in their lives.

Students are encouraged to submit films on immigration no longer than three minutes. Submissions are due by August 16, 2013. Each film will be judged within one of the three age categories: 18 years old and over, 13-17 years old, and 13 years old and under.

Films will be judged by an esteemed panel, including former U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis and actor/producer Rosario Dawson, who will select the most thought and emotion provoking telling of the immigration story. First and second place winners will be chosen in all three age categories, and "Best Overall" and "Most Viewed" prizes will also be awarded. Winners will receive cash prizes up to $2,000.

Filmmakers are encouraged to be creative and resourceful and may use video cameras, digital cameras, or cell phones to shoot their films.

The United States has over 40 million immigrants and approximately 11 million are undocumented. As the nation is on the brink of creating a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, Short & Strong’s mission is to encourage students across the country to share stories about immigrants and be a part of this nationwide discussion.

For more information and instructions on how to enter, visit www.shortandstrong.com.

Hotel workers across BC have voted “Yes” to authorize strikes. Room Attendants, Cooks, Servers, Front Desk and other hotel staff have been without a contract for over a year and have authorized possible job actions.

Despite months of negotiations, hotel workers have yet to see real progress at the bargaining table.  Employers have not addressed workers’ key concerns:  a fair wage increase, quality health care benefits and pension improvements for all hotel workers regardless of which city workers live in, reductions in room attendant workload, disclosure of banquet gratuities and other issues.

Visit www.uniteherelocal40.org to learn more.

Major city supports federal bill in advance of full Senate deliberations; efforts of Latino voters credited.

PHOENIX – Nearly 100 hospitality workers, students, and immigration reform activists with the hospitality workers’ union UNITE HERE witnessed a historic vote Tuesday when the Phoenix City Council voted 6 to 1 to support a federal immigration reform bill that will be heard by the Senate next week.

The resolution, on the agenda in the Council’s regular policy session, recommended support of S.744, or the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act. Councilman Jim Waring was the sole vote against the resolution. Council members Sal DiCiccio and Tom Simplot were not present for the vote.

After the vote, City Councilman Daniel Valenzuela addressed a crowd who supported the resolution, saying, "Today your city took an official stand on immigration reform. You can thank Mayor Stanton and the members of the city council, but you should also look around. You’re really here because of the person to the right and to the left of you." Valenzuela won his seat in 2011, when Latino voters in his district increased their turnout nearly 500%.

Arizona’s hospitality workers have been especially active for reform because they say that Arizona’s previous attempts to address immigration on its own—like the controversial SB 1070—led to boycotts of the state that drove down tourism and hurt their families economically.

Hospitality workers in Arizona have joined dozens of other pro-immigrant community groups and labor organizations in uniting calls for reform with immigrant workers’ campaigns for rights on the job. On May 1, this new alliance staged a massive reform march downtown that also called attention to claims of unfair treatment of immigrant employees at the Hyatt Regency Phoenix.

Margarita Hernandez, 61, is a banquet server at the Hyatt Regency Phoenix who is originally from Mexico. She testified to City Council through an interpreter that she wanted their support for immigration reform because "at work, I don’t only struggle to support my family. I also have to struggle to win the respect that I deserve as a human being and to keep my position because I don’t feel like I have security in my job at the Hyatt."

Organizers predict this support from the City of Phoenix—the nation’s sixth-largest city and a center of immigration controversy—will help spur lawmakers on Capitol Hill to pass an immigration bill this year.

Congress likely is acting on immigration reform now thanks in part to higher participation and turnout among Latino voters in the 2012 elections. Last year, the hospitality workers’ union UNITE HERE funded a campaign that submitted nearly 35,000 voter registration applications from Phoenix-area Latinos.

The Phoenix vote is one more demonstration of the increasing statewide and national political importance of Latino voters, for whom immigration reform is considered a high priority.

"Could you have imagined a vote like this before we started turning out the Latino vote?" Councilman Valenzuela said. "Well, the Latino vote is here."

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UNITE HERE is an organization representing 250,000 hospitality workers throughout the U.S. and Canada. In Arizona, UNITE HERE Local 631 represents food service workers at Sky Harbor Airport and hotels across the Valley. Learn more at unitehere.org.

CASE is a diverse group of community leaders committed to raising living standards for all Arizona families through community education, increasing civic participation, leadership development, coalition building, and strengthening partner organizations. Learn more at case-az.org.