The governing body of UNITE HERE, the union of hospitality workers in the U.S. and Canada, has elected D. Taylor as its President. John Wilhelm, who had served as the President of UNITE HERE since 2009, retired on November 29 at the meeting of the UNITE HERE General Executive Board. Wilhelm was previously the President of UNITE HERE’s Hospitality Division, and before that was the President of HERE, one of the two unions that merged to form UNITE HERE in 2004.

Taylor is the leader of UNITE HERE’s largest affiliate, Local 226 in Las Vegas (also called the Culinary Workers’ Union). Representing 60,000 workers, Local 226 is widely recognized for leading the transformation of hospitality-industry jobs from low-wage, insecure work to stable, middle-class occupations. The housekeepers, restaurant workers, beverage service workers and bell staff who make up the membership of Local 226 are also recognized as a powerful political force in Nevada and national politics. UNITE HERE was the first international union to endorse Barack Obama for President in 2008, and Local 226 has been credited with leading the transformation of Nevada from a red state to a Democratic stronghold. This year the union again led a major political program, particularly among Latino voters, contributing to President Obama’s victory in Nevada.

"I am grateful beyond measure for the privilege of serving as this Union’s President," said Wilhelm. "We are blessed with terrific leadership, and it’s time for a new generation to lead us into the future. D. will be a superb leader for our Union."

Taylor served as Staff Director of UNITE HERE Local 226 from 1990 to 2002 and Secretary-Treasurer since 2002, and as General Vice President of UNITE HERE since 2009. Upon his election as UNITE HERE’s President, he pledged to develop leadership among young people and people of color, and to expand the success of the union in Las Vegas to hospitality workers elsewhere. "This is a tremendous honor, and a huge challenge," he said upon his election. "Our job is to fundamentally change the fate of workers in our industries. I’m optimistic that we can do that, but it’s going to require taking some real risks."

LONG BEACH, Calif. — Eighteen hotel employees reached a $130,000 settlement with HEI Hotels and Resorts over denial of meal and rest breaks required by California law.

The settlement arose from claims filed with the California Division of Labor Standards Enforcement by employees of the Hilton Long Beach and Executive Meeting Center, owned and managed by HEI.

In hearings before the Labor Commissioner, workers described facing direct pressure from supervisors to work through meals and to skip rest breaks to keep up with increasingly heavy workloads. Some employees suffered injuries due to the unremitting nature of their work. Employees in the hotel’s kitchen, restaurant, room service, banquet services and housekeeping departments stepped forward to participate in the legal action.

Under California law, employers must establish practices that do not discourage workers from exercising their right to full 30-minute meal periods and 10-minute rest breaks.

The workers, current and former Long Beach Hilton employees, were supported in their efforts by UNITE HERE Local 11 and represented by the UC Irvine School of Law-Immigrant Rights Clinic and Legal Aid Society-Employment Law Center.

"After about 11 years of almost never taking rest breaks, I am thrilled we are finally seeing justice," said Jose Landino, a cook at the Long Beach hotel. "The money I am receiving from this settlement will be helpful as the holidays approach, but above all I feel proud that we stood up and demanded the HEI Hilton Long Beach Hotel respect us and the law."

Landino won about $8,400 from the settlement.

"Like many at the hotel, I worked through my breaks for years while rushing from room to room changing beds and scrubbing floors," said Maria Patlan, a Hilton housekeeper. "I hope this money will help teach the Hilton Long Beach a lesson in how to treat people like me."

"Through persuasive testimony and painstaking analysis of time records, workers, law students, and public interest lawyers overcame the odds in a challenging area of the law. They showed that groups of employees with dedicated legal support can hold employers accountable for worsening conditions of work in the low-wage sector," said Sameer Ashar, Director of the Immigrant Rights Clinic at UC Irvine School of Law.

[Phoenix, AZ] Today, hundreds of election volunteers, members of UNITE HERE, and state legislators are holding a demonstration outside the Maricopa County Recorder’s Office, where Arizona voters still await answers on the outcome of statewide races. Last week, the Arizona Secretary of State confirmed there are more than 450,000 uncounted votes in Maricopa County–one-third of the total ballots cast. With tens of thousands of votes still uncounted and Friday’s ballot count deadline looming, Arizonans are coming together to champion the real winner of this election: Arizona’s powerful bloc of new Latino voters.

This election marks the beginning of a "New Arizona." Arizona has been ground zero for the war on the Latino community in the U.S. In spite of the anti-immigrant attacks here, in the last year the Adios Arpaio campaign, driven largely by UNITE HERE, registered 35,000 new voters. 70% of those voters are Latino. In the election last week, Latino voting by mail more than doubled in Arizona, from 90,000 to 220,000. Latinos are projected to be 35% of the Arizona population by 2030, and 25% of registered voters. Republicans statewide, including the notorious anti-immigrant Sheriff Joe Arpaio, are now changing their tune onimmigration in response to Arizona’s newly energized electorate.

The voter-registration drive in Maricopa County was led by 2,000 high school volunteers, many of them children of immigrants. Alonso Robles, a 17-year old volunteer from South Pointe High School in Phoenix, said, "I did this for my mom. She sacrificed so much to make my life, and my brothers’ and sisters’ lives, better. I chose to give back to her by standing up for my family and my community and helping people vote. I’m really proud to be a part of this movement–and we’re just getting started." 

Democrats have achieved big wins in the state, and more may come as the votes are tallied. Democrats Ann Kirkpatrick and Kyrsten Sinema won Congressional seats, andDemocrat Ron Barber leads in the race for Gabby Giffords’ former seat. Contrary to initial election results, Joe Arpaio is not the confirmed winner in the Maricopa County Sheriff’s race, and the same goes for the Senate faceoff between Democrat Richard Carmona and Republican Jeff Flake. County Recorder Helen Purcell admitted Wednesday shecould not certify the results. The delay in election results has been exacerbated because thousands of Arizonans were forced to vote on provisional ballots. To date, 90,000 provisional ballots have yet to be counted.

"I’m so proud of the work we’ve done. I know we’re making a difference in this community. A change is coming in Arizona, and we’re going to keep on winning," said Lucia Aguirre, the president of UNITE HERE Local 631 and a food service worker at Sky Harbor Airport.

Today’s action is the largest escalation to date in daily protests led by high schools students and UNITEHERE members since the election, who have been a constant presence outside the Elections Office since Election Day. Other participants in today’s action include Phoenix City Council members Michael Nowakowski and Daniel Valenzuela, Campaign for Arizona’s Future, Promise Arizona in Action, One Arizona Coalition, Citizens for a Better Arizona, MoveOn, and Presente.

On November 2, over 200 Twin River food and beverage workers, members of UNITE HERE Local 217, overwhelmingly ratified a new five year agreement that preserves middle class jobs and provides real job security to its employees. Nontipped employees, such as cooks, cleaners, and warehouse workers, will see their hourly earnings rise 12% by the end of the Agreement.  Twin River has agreed to increase its pension contribution by over 6% a year.  As part of the Agreement, more employees will also qualify for health insurance,

"Most folks are talking about creating jobs, but very few people are talking about creating good jobs.  Twin River has committed to both preserve and create good jobs. This is what Rhode Island needs.  I am a homeowner, a working mom, and I am saving to send to kids to college.  I could not afford to do this without a middle class, union job," stated Banquet Captain, Julie Procaccini, Cranston.

"A large part of my family works at Twin River.  Under this new agreement we will receive fair raises that allow us to pay our mortgage, provide for our kids, and keep Rhode Island dollars in our community," stated cleaner John Gomes, Central Falls.

"I started working at Twin River over 20 years ago when it was a sleepy dogtrack.  My union job at Twin River has allowed me to be a part of the middle class and will allow me to retire with dignity.  This is because as part of our new agreement Twin River committed to keep our pension strong," stated Wicked Good waitress Carol Degnan, North Providence.

"Our country is in the middle of a health care crisis. However, Twin River has done the right thing.  It has not only continued to provide quality health insurance to its employees, but it is also allowing more employees to have access to health insurance," stated Bartender, Lisa Ricamo, East Providence.

"I love working at Twin River.  I pride myself in providing top notch service to our guests. The commitment Twin River is making to us will translate to us providing the best guest service of any gambling venue in New England," stated beverage server, Liz Sankey, Smithfield.

On October 9th, 100 AreasUSA workers at San Jose Airport achieved their first union contract. The agreement provides significant wage increases and, for the first time at San Jose Airport, allows AreasUSA workers access to good quality health care. A large majority of the workers will receive free medical, dental, and vision coverage, and all workers will receive raises between $1.90 and $2.55 over the next four years.

The contract also provides other important benefits such as a free meal during each shift and time-and-a-half pay for servers and bartenders during their vacations.

The contract came as part of an arbitration ruling, which settled issues that were not resolved during the course of negotiations.

"It’s been a long road to this contract, but our patience has paid off,” said Mario de la Torre, a cook at Pizza My Heart. “I’m going to be able to see a doctor for the first time in a long time."

Unprecedented Community Coalition Wins Raises, Sick Days for L.B. Hotel Workers

Long Beach – A cheering crowd representing a uniquely diverse Long Beach coalition hailed the passage of Measure N Tuesday night. The measure establishes a minimum wage of $13/hr (about $2,000 a month) in Long Beach’s largest hotels, guarantees workers five sick days a year, and protects their tips. Economists project that it will add about $7 million annually into the local economy, creating and sustaining 85 jobs and generating an estimated $800,000 in tax revenues.

"This victory is good for Long Beach and will be so helpful for hotel workers, who may even see this increase in time for the holidays," said Christine Petit, a campaign co-chair and member of the Long Beach Coalition for Good Jobs and a Healthy Economy. "Long Beach residents have supported the hotel industry with our tax money. We didn’t feel like poverty wages were a good return on that investment."

The measure becomes law ten days after certification by the Long Beach City Council, which can happen as soon as 28 days after the election.

"I have said all along that the second thing I would do when Measure N passes is take my family off of public assistance," said Maria Patlan, a ten-year housekeeper in Long Beach’s hotel industry. "But the first thing I will do is a dance of joy."

"The coalition that has supported this measure is as beautiful and diverse as Long Beach itself," said Rev. Jerald M. Stinson, Senior Pastor of the First Congregational Church of Long Beach. "Communities of faith, small business owners, hotel workers, and ordinary Long Beach residents came together to shine a light on the poverty living in the shadows of one of our most critical industries. Measure N will make a big difference for a lot of families who have been working hard but not seeing progress."

On Tuesday, October 30, employees at the new St. Regis Bal Harbor, located a few blocks north of Miami Beach, became members of UNITE HERE Local 355, South Florida’s hospitality and tourism workers union. The St. Regis workers will now begin negotiating their first contract.  With the union certification and acknowledgement by St. Regis management, the hotel becomes the fourth union hotel in South Florida. Suzette Annakie, housekeeping room attendant, "I feel proud of myself,proud of my co-workers, proud to have accomplished a goal I set out to win.  Now we have the next task in front of us, but I know we will win because we are united." Members now join their hotel colleagues at the famed Fontainebleau Hotel, the Miami Beach Resort and the Westin Diplomat located in Hallandale Beach. The count was conducted by Fr. Alejandro Roque from the St. Stephen’s Catholic Church in Miramar.

On October 24, over 50 Miami International Airport retail concession workers employed by Hudson joined UNITE HERE Local 355, South Florida’s hospitality and workers union. Along with over 400 members from Host and other airport concessionaires, the bookstore workers are geared up to negotiate their first contract. "I’ve known for some time the fighting spirit that our brothers and sisters in food service have with their union. I’m excited for my co-workers and I to join the family," said Olga Castellanos, one of many new members who organized their union at Hudson Bookstore at MIA. The new members are the first from retail concessions to join the union in Miami International Airport. The workers at MIA join co-workers at HMS Host, Concessions International, LSG Sky Chefs, Gate Gourmet and other food service and catering employees at Miami International Airport. At Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, over 96% of food and concession workers are represented by Local 355. The union count was conducted by Fr. Jack Stanton who serves at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in downtown Miami.

Congratulations to over 700 workers who have won Union recognition as members of Local 100 in recent weeks. Twenty Restaurant Associates workers at Citigroup in New York became members of Local 100 in September, and in October fourteen Currito workers at Newark International Airport also won Union recognition. On October 3, 705 Levy workers at the Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn, New York, the new home of the Brooklyn Nets, won the Union through a card check agreement.

Welcome to the workers at two of Chicago’s top-rated hotels, who have become members of UNITE HERE Local 1! At the Waldorf-Astoria and the Palomar Hotel, nearly 300 workers have joined our Union, adding to our growing strength in Chicago. At the Palomar Hotel, workers in the restaurant stood strong in the face of an aggressive anti-union campaign by the company, which told them the restaurant would close if they joined the union. Both victories were won due to the hard work of Local 1 organizers and committee through a card check agreement.