Author Archives for Ann Kammerer

First Change to Win Convention Promises Power and Growth for American Workers

September 29, 2005 12:00 am Published by Leave a comment

Hundreds of working people from around the country -” members of unions that together represent nearly six million workers -” came together to create a new labor federation dedicated to ensuring that hard work is once again valued in the US and around the world. Change to Win, comprised of UNITE HERE and six other unions, will be a lean organization focusing more than 75% of its budget on organizing working people.

Over the course of its day-long founding convention, delegates ratified a constitution and structure, and passed resolutions on organizing, diversity, and politics. Anna Burger was officially designated as chair of the new federation, the first time in American history that a woman has headed a labor federation. Edgar Romney, Executive Vice President of UNITE HERE and Manager of NY Metropolitan Area Joint Board, was chosen as the secretary-treasurer of the federation, the first time an African-American has headed an American labor federation. In addition, workers shared firsthand their struggles to ensure that their jobs pay enough to support a family, offer quality, affordable health care, and a retirement with dignity.

Hawaii’s Housekeepers to Community: “Please Feel My Pain!”

September 29, 2005 12:00 am Published by Leave a comment

The week of September 5th, Local 5 members at Hilton, Starwood, Marriott and Hyatt hotels in Hawaii used life-size body charts and "OUCH" stickers to demonstrate where their bodies hurt from the hard work they do every day. In cafeterias and locker rooms, it was revealed that housekeepers have many aching body parts, especially their shoulders, hands, backs and knees. At the beginning of UNITE HERE’s International Housekeeping Week on Tuesday, September 13, Local 5 members hit the streets with their charts. Walking along the beaches in front of the Hilton and Starwood hotels and in downtown parks, members held the life size chart and handed out leaflets stating "Luxury is a pain!" to dozens of passers-by.

Visit www.hotelworkersunited.org for more information.

Toronto’s Royal York Housekeepers Work Safe

September 29, 2005 12:00 am Published by Leave a comment

As a result of escalating workload and duties, room attendants at the Fairmont Royal York report being unable to take their breaks. On Thursday September 22, all room attendants took their breaks at the same time and room attendants held rallies in the staff cafeteria to educate other departments about the unbearable workload. As a result of taking breaks and working safely, many room attendants were unable to complete daily work assignments. -�The need for rest and recovery is essential for room attendants,-� commented Paul Clifford, President of UNITE HERE Local 75. -�Over the course of a room attendant’s working life, she will make tens of thousands of beds. With increasingly luxurious beds, it’s no surprise that repetitive strain injuries are increasing for room attendants. Without proper breaks, room attendants are at risk of injuries.-� Workers at the Fairmont Royal York are currently in contract negotiations. On January 31, 2006, 4,000 workers at 23 Toronto hotels will also be in contract negotiations with major hotel companies. On September 27, Royal York workers voted to authorize a strike. Workers are seeking protections on safe workload as well as improvements in wages, benefits and working conditions while company proposals attempt to move the collective agreement backwards.

Visit www.hotelworkersunited.org for more information.

Laundry, Dry-Cleaning & Allied Workers Joint Board Workers Make Great Strides in Medical Coverage

September 22, 2005 12:00 am Published by Leave a comment

Piscataway, NJ– One hundred and sixty UNITE HERE members at Meritex Industrial Laundry in Piscataway, NJ won an important contract fight this month. Meritex, which is owned by Hilton, will double its contributions for workers’ medical insurance over three years, giving our members real hospitalization coverage for the first time. Workers also won paid sick days and secured wage increases well above the cost of living. Solidarity from UNITE HERE members at Local 54 in Atlantic City, NJ and Local 100 in New York played a crucial role in this victory for members of the Laundry, Dry-Cleaning & Allied Workers Joint Board. Congratulations to the Meritex Bargaining Committee: Bechir Cajuste, Ana Gamboa, Mamoune Fileus, Marta Manzano and Sandra Schomburg.

Another Hotel Agrees to 2006 Contract Expiration

September 22, 2005 12:00 am Published by Leave a comment

San Francisco, CA– The city’s Argent Hotel has expressed its willingness to support a short-term contract expiring in 2006. The Argent now joins the Palace and the Westin St. Francis in demonstrating interest in signing a contract ending in 2006. UNITE HERE Local 2 has lifted the boycott of the Westin St. Francis. However, the boycott remains for the 13 other properties (including the Argent and the Palace) in the hotel employer group that negotiates the labor contract. The boycott of the hotels in San Francisco has seriously affected the city’s tourism and hospitality business. Workers and allies are still committed to informing the public of the boycott and their struggle for a decent contract. Click here for more information. Or visit www.hotelworkersrising.org for more information.

Help Union Members Devastated by Hurricane Katrina

September 8, 2005 12:00 am Published by Leave a comment

The devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina has created immediate needs for safe drinking water, shelter and food for many UNITE HERE members living and working in Louisiana and other Gulf Coast states. Thousands of our members in the region have lost their jobs, and a majority of those have been left without homes.

You can help UNITE HERE working families survive this disaster. Please contribute as generously as you possibly can to the UNITE HERE Hurricane Relief Fund. This fund will direct financial assistance to help our members and their families survive this disaster. Please copy and distribute the attached leaflet widely among members, staff and supporters, and consider giving generously to this fund.

Send contribution checks to:

UNITE HERE
Attn: UNITE HERE Hurricane Relief Fund
275 Seventh Avenue
New York, NY 10001

Laundry Workers Fight to Save Jobs From City Threat

September 8, 2005 12:00 am Published by Leave a comment

Peekskill, NY–At a time when most cities are doing everything they can to create jobs, a proposal by the City of Peekskill threatens to put 350 UNITE HERE laundry members out of work. UNITE HERE workers at White Plains Linen who launder restaurant and hotel linens in the NY metropolitan area, rallied today in front of their plant in an attempt to save their jobs. The majority of the workers are Latino immigrants who are long-term employees, some up to 20 years. They have a strong union contract, with sick days and full family health care benefits including dental and eyeglass coverage-“benefits that may be lost for good if they lose their union jobs. The laundry facility was first established in an industrial area of Peekskill about 30 years ago, but over time the area has become increasingly residential and the laundry has quadrupled in size. The City of Peekskill wants the laundry to move out immediately, which would essentially mean closing the company and losing 350 jobs.

The UNITE HERE Laundry, Dry Cleaning, and Allied Workers Joint Board is urging the city to give WPL the opportunity to develop a plan to move.

In addition to the rally, The City is holding a special hearing at 7:30pm on Thursday, September 8, to promote legislation to restrict commercial traffic leading to the laundry, which would in effect shut it down.

Hotel Workers Rally on Labor Day for a New Contract; 61 Arrested in Civil Disobedience

September 8, 2005 12:00 am Published by Leave a comment

San Francisco, CA -" More than 750 hotel workers and their allies took to the streets Labor Day, to demonstrate for a new contract and to call on customers to boycott 13 Multi-Employer Group hotels. They marched past several hotels ending with a rally in front of the Grand Hyatt San Francisco where 61 hotel workers, union leaders, and community allies were arrested while engaging in non-violent civil disobedience, blocking the entrance to the hotel.

Among those arrested were John Wilhelm (President/Hospitality Industry of UNITE HERE), Mike Casey (President of Local 2), as well as numerous hotel workers labor and community leaders. The 61 people arrested were cited with -�interfering with business-� (a misdemeanor), and released.

This demonstration comes more than a year after the workers’ contracts expired, and nine months after their employers were forced to end a 7 1/2- week lockout. Contracts affecting 8,500 San Francisco hotel workers expired in August 2004. Hotel workers have been fighting for several key contract terms, including: modest wage increases; fully-funded healthcare for workers & their families; continued pension benefits; organizing rights for other hotel workers in San Francisco and San Mateo Counties; and an expiration date in August 2006.

Last week the owner of the Westin St. Francis (the Blackstone Group) stated that it was prepared to accept the union settlement proposal. In response, the rank-and-file negotiating committee of Local 2 has decided to suspend the boycott at that hotel. The boycott continues at 13 other MEG hotels: The Argent; Crowne Plaza Union Square; Fairmont; Four Seasons; Grand Hyatt; Hilton; Holiday Inn Civic Center; Holiday Inn Express; Holiday Inn Fisherman’s Wharf; Hyatt Regency; Mark Hopkins; Omni; Sheraton Palace.

Tell Gate Gourmet – Reinstate Fired Workers Now

August 25, 2005 12:00 am Published by Leave a comment

On Wednesday, August 10, 620 workers were fired by the airline caterer Gate Gourmet in a dispute provoked by the company, whose aim was to replace union members with cheap labor. In response, baggage handlers at Heathrow — members of the same union as the Gate Gourmet workers who had just lost their jobs — walked off the job in solidarity. The dispute has captured the attention of the mass media in Britain and elsewhere.

Now the workers have appealed through their union, the Transport and General Workers Union (TGWU), and their global labour federations (the IUF and ITF), for your help.

Please click here to send an email to the company telling them to talk to the union and to reinstate the fired workers immediately.

Board of Supervisors Vote Unanimously for Strongest Anti-Sweatshop Ordinance Ever

August 25, 2005 12:00 am Published by Leave a comment

San Francisco, CA–The San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted unanimously this week to pass the historic Sweatfree San Francisco Ordinance, which will ensure that the hundreds of millions of city tax dollars spent on purchasing every year will be used to support fair and just labor practices. A coalition of nearly 60 community groups, including UNITE HERE, Global Exchange, Asian Law Caucus, Chinese Progressive Association, Progressive Jewish Alliance and Sierra Club, among others, had worked together to set the highest standard in the country for sweatfree legislation.

The San Francisco Sweatfree Ordinance was introduced by Mayor Gavin Newsom and Supervisor Tom Ammiano and co-sponsored by seven other supervisors. It includes a sweat-free code of conduct to be signed by all city contractors, subcontractors and vendors. The code of conduct mandates that these companies’ workers are paid a living wage, adjusted by labor market, and provided with safe working conditions and a non-discriminatory environment. The code of conduct also bans child labor, and guarantees the fundamental right of workers to join an independent union. In order to ensure that good intentions are translated into good results, the city will include funding for enforcement as well as for a non-profit, independent monitor in its annual budget. The law also requires that a sweatfree advisory group examine ways to provide compliance incentives for San Francisco garment manufacturers. The ordinance was passed unanimously by the Board’s Finance Committee two weeks ago, and will face a final reading and vote on September 6.