Los Angeles—-Blitzing the media at about the same time they informed Local 11, the members of the L.A. Hotel Employer’s Council (EC) publicized their latest four-year proposal on Monday, May 16th. In the face of growing tensions that threaten to split the EC itself, the 2004-2008 proposal amounts are little more than a desperate attempt to entice Local 11’s members to accept a contract whose duration will isolate them from tens of thousands of their brothers and sisters who will be negotiating with the global hotel corporations in 2006.

As Local 11 Secretary-Treasurer Tom Walsh told the Los Angeles Times, -�This tells me two things,-� he said. -�First, they can afford a better economic package. Second, and more importantly, they’re still not listening to us.-� Local 11 has already signed 2004-2006 agreements with six hotels, including the Beverly Hilton and the Bel Air. Negotiations with the EC had been set for May 25th, but have been postponed due to the tragic death of Miguel Contreras.

San Francisco — Who better to see that justice is served than several hundred labor lawyers? While in town for their convention, more than 300 labor lawyers marched from their meeting at the San Francisco Marriott on Friday to the St. Francis Hotel to join Local 2 members on a picket line and to inform the public about the boycott of the 14 Multi-Employer Group hotels. All told, more than 750 people picketed at the St. Francis for three hours. And what chant do you suppose was heard most often? "What do we want? A contract! When do we want it? Now!" Join Local 2 members and allies Thursday, May 19th from 2-6pm at the Fairmont Hotel (California and Mason Sts on Nob Hill). Contact Kelly Dugan 415 864 8770 x751 for more information.

For seven long years, 1,800 service workers at Yale-New Haven Hospital have been struggling to win a union voice at work. But management of the hospital-which pays no city taxes-has fought them with a campaign of harassment, intimidation and arrests. Please send the following message to the Yale-New Haven Hospital executives and board members, urging them to uphold community standards and respect their workers’ freedom to decide for themselves whether to have a union-without attacks from management.

New York, NY-“Laundry workers at North American Linen in Long Branch, NJ, are fighting for a fair contract. The company does not want to pay fair wages and benefits. In fact, North American Linen has broken off negotiations and stopped paying into the workers’ health plan altogether. Workers are taking action in the shop, lawsuits have been filed as well as Unfair Labor Practice charges. Come do your part to help these hard-working, hard-fighting immigrant workers win a fair contract! Join the Laundry, Dry-Cleaning and Allied Workers Joint Board on Friday, May 20, 2005 for a demonstration in front of the Bryant Park Grill, a customer of North American Linen and beneficiary of sweatshop conditions there.

The 55th Annual Sidney Hillman Foundation Awards have been scheduled for Tuesday, June 14 6PM-8PM, at the UNITE HERE New York Joint Board, 31 W. 15th Street, New York City. The Sidney Hillman Awards, given annually since 1950, are among the most prestigious awards given to journalists, writers and public figures who pursue social justice and public policy for the common good. These awards reflect the vision and commitment of Sidney Hillman, president of the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America (a predecessor union of UNITE HERE), whose tireless efforts to bring dignity and respect to working people left a lasting legacy. UNITE HERE is proud to continue the Sidney Hillman tradition. UNITE HERE board members and staff are invited to attend; please contact [email protected] to RSVP or for more information.

Washington, DC–More than 170 members of UNITE HERE attended the Industrial Union Conference in Washington, DC, May 9-10. Together with more than 1,200 other union members, they lobbied Congress to oppose the Dominican Republic-Central American Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA). Members explained that the DR-CAFTA trade deal, which has been in discussion for several years, will threaten labor rights, erode workplace standards and serve to line the pockets of mega-corporations. Mary Sandoval, a member of Local 23-25, stated that “CAFTA will only make corporations rich and all workers poor because while we lose jobs in the US, companies continue to exploit workers in Guatemala.” Union members also told Congress not to gamble with their retirement money and to fix social security, not destroy it.

Los Angeles–In what may prove to be the "tipping point" in L.A.’s year-old hotel labor dispute, the famed 570-room Beverly Hilton Hotel has reached an agreement with UNITE HERE Local 11 that improves workers’ wages, maintains free family health benefits, and expires in 2006. Nearly half the LA area hotels with contracts that expired in 2004 have now settled with the union. In addition to the Beverly Hilton, the other settled hotels are the Bel Air, Radisson Wilshire Plaza, Luxe Summit Rodeo Drive, Sportsmen’s Lodge, and Holiday Inn Convention Center.

In sharp contrast, eight hotels of the L.A. Hotel Employer’s Council (EC) refuse to accept a similar offer from the union. These hotels are: the Biltmore, Bonaventure, Wilshire Grand, Hyatt Regency, Sheraton Universal, Beverly Wilshire, Hyatt on Sunset, and Century Plaza.

Representatives at the news conference from the National Educational Association and the California Teachers Association will describe how the on-going labor dispute may impact the NEA’s annual convention in Los Angeles this July. The NEA convention is one of the largest annual gatherings nationally, bringing some 15,000 delegates to the host city.

UNITE HERE Local 11 estimates the EC hotels have already foregone more than $10 million in revenues as a result of the dispute and the boycott.

Visit www.HotelWorkersUnited.org for more information.

On Wednesday, April 20, thousands of teachers, graduate employees, researchers, support and service staff, and building trades workers will converge at Columbia University, 116th Street and Broadway, at 4PM. This action will be part of a week of strike actions by graduate employee unions at Columbia University, affiliated with UAW, and Yale, affiliated with UNITE HERE. Action participants will be sending a strong message to the universities that all workers have a right to form unions, and that the universities must respect the right to bargain collectively.

The Los Angeles hotels boycott is gaining steam as more and more supporters honor the boycott by not holding events. In a recent survey Local 11 confirmed that more than 126 events have pulled out of the boycotted hotels or have decided not to book their events at the nine hotels. During conversations with several of the hotels’ clients, customers expressed that canceling an event because of the boycott is very difficult but deciding not to book a future event is easy. As word spreads of the L.A. hotels’ boycott, the boycott will only get worse for the hotels as future business is affected. With millions of dollars already lost, the hotels have reason for serious concern.

Jesse Jackson, a boycott supporter and long time friend of hotel workers, came to Los Angeles in March and visited workers inside the Century Plaza Hotel. Together, workers at the hotel and Jesse Jackson delegated the General Manager who happened to be meeting with the owners of the Century Plaza at the time. Jesse Jackson and head chef Donald Wilson talked to the owners about their fight for a fair contract and how they should honor the rights of the workers who make his company’s hotel profitable every day.

International support for hotels workers in the U.S. also continues to grow. After their exciting delegation to Los Angeles, Korean union representatives went back to Korea and continued to make noise by meeting with Wilshire Grand owner Korean Air Lines and their parent company, Hanjin. The Korean union has also been sending letters ever since the Korean delegates returned to Seoul. Thanks to the Korean union, tensions inside the company are rising.

In further international news, Mexican union representatives just returned home after a very exciting visit to Los Angeles. They participated with several hundred Local 11 members and community supporters in a -�Banquet In The Streets-� action held April 13 in front of the Century Plaza Hotel. L.A. workers were showing customers and the public they should honor their boycott of the hotel by -�eating in the streets-� not at the hotel. The Mexican delegation also participated in delegations to management at several other L.A. hotels resisting a fair contract and promised to continue the fight in support of UNITE HERE’s struggle upon their return to Mexico.

Berkeley, CA– For over three years, approximately 100 non-union spa workers at the Claremont Resort & Spa in Berkeley have been fighting for the right to unionize without management interference, while over 300 union members have been fighting for a fair union contract with affordable family healthcare. Please support the Claremont Resort workers by clicking here to send a free fax to John Martin, Fairmont’s Corporate Director of Professional Relations, urging Fairmont to turn over a new leaf at the Claremont Resort & Spa by settling the long-standing labor dispute.

Two weeks ago, thousands of UNITE HERE members and retirees participated in several actions across the country to protest the Bush administration’s plan to privatize Social Security. In actions targeting Charles Schwab offices, the union activists demanded that Wall Street firms, which stand to make billions of dollars in investment fees, keep their hands off retirement benefits. –