Madison, WI-"At the Common Council meeting of October 11, a new ordinance creating humane standards for city garment purchases was adopted unanimously. The new policy requires that apparel purchases by the city, like uniforms for police, fire and parks departments, be made in conditions that respect the economic dignity and human rights of workers, including the right to organize.

"Today, Madison has finally joined the list of responsible governments across the country that have prohibited taxpayer dollars from being used to purchase garments that were made under the deplorable and inhumane conditions of sweatshop labor," said Ald. Austin King, district 8, the sponsor of the ordinance. The Council had previously passed a resolution in April calling for such a policy to be drafted. The ordinance sets up a process whereby the city can utilize an independent monitoring organization to report back on the conditions of factories where the city’s garments are being produced.

At over 40 campuses across the United States, students are demanding that their colleges and universities take the next step in ending sweatshops. The United Students Against Sweatshops (USAS) has developed the New Sweatfree Campaign, which demands that all collegiate apparel brands source from good factories, where workers have a legitimate, representative union or other representative employee body–and that they pay enough so that workers can negotiate for a living wage. UNITE HERE is supporting the USAS campaign as part of its international anti-sweatshop campaign. Participating schools include Boston College, Brown University, SUNY Albany, Purdue University and Temple University. The students’ plan would put an end to the squeeze on garment supplier factories to drive down wages and working conditions, and would create a guaranteed market for factories which live up to internationally recognized worker rights standards.

Chicago, IL–On September 21, hundreds of hotel members of UNITE HERE Local 1 in Chicago voted overwhelmingly to increase their strike fund contributions an extra $10 a month. The extra contribution will stay in effect until the 2006 contract is settled. "We’ve got to get ready to fight," said Margarita Arellano, a room attendant at the W City Center. "The companies keep piling on the work, and it’s too much. I fought for a new law so we could get paid breaks every day. But the companies are suing to overturn the law. See how mean they are?" Chicago workers joined with their brothers and sisters in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Honolulu, who have all voted to build their strike fund. Visit www.hotelworkersunited.org for more information.

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.

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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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.