Kahuku, HI -" Turtle Bay workers walked off the job early Saturday morning to protest abusive working conditions for housekeepers and other health and safety issues for laundry and Palm Terrace restaurant workers. At around 3AM, the union delivered a letter to the manager on duty stating that workers were going on strike until 11:59 pm or until management agreed to commit in writing to resolve the issues raised. Since there is no union contract in place, workers cannot take their grievances to arbitration. However, without a contract, workers are not restricted from taking other actions, such as stopping work, in order to resolve their grievances. A recent survey of housekeepers conducted by the union revealed that 81% of Turtle Bay housekeeping workers experience pain on the job, 69% take pain medication at least weekly and 56% have trouble sleeping because of pain. Because of excessive workloads, 59% of housekeepers take less than their full 30 minute break and 21% take no break at all. For more information about the Turtle Bay Boycott, go to www.turtlebayboycott.info.

The state of Connecticut spends millions of dollars each year buying or renting uniforms for its state employees, and the state’s public university systems license tens of millions of dollars worth of apparel each year. Following the precedent set by states, cities, and universities across the U.S., Connecticut is considering a law that would make it illegal for the state government and public universities to support sweatshops through their purchases with public dollars. While some of the uniforms worn by state employees are made in workplaces where workers have a voice on the job, earn a living wage, and receive decent treatment, this is not the case for all contracts. In fact, most of the workers producing apparel purchased and licensed by state agencies and universities are made in sweatshop factories where workers earn a poverty wage and are forced to work overtime. There are also widespread violations of the workers’ rights to freedom of association and there is commonly intimidation and abuse on the job. Connecticut must take responsibility now to ensure that the products it buys with our tax dollars are not subsidizing sweatshop labor! To take action, go to action.unitehere.org/campaign/CT_sweatfree

Chicago, IL — Drivers of Cosmopolitan Textile Rental in Chicago scored a big victory when they unanimously ratified a new contract on May 19th after an 11-day strike. The 17 members of Teamsters Local 731 were supported by a majority of the laundry production workers at the facility, who refused to cross the picket line and work during the strike. According to Gloria Cortina, a UNITE HERE member, who has been with Cosmopolitan for over 20 years, –

Statement of John W. Wilhelm
President/Hospitality, UNITE HERE International Union

UNITE HERE International Union applauds legislation (the Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act of 2005) introduced by Senators Kennedy and McCain for comprehensive immigration reform. The time is long overdue for a realistic fix of our broken immigration system. While we are a long way from passage and important details will continue to be debated, this bill is a rational solution for the millions of undocumented workers in the United States who have no rights on the job and are vulnerable to exploitation from abusive employers. And because the legislation includes the right to join a union and the right to change jobs, it is good for all American workers. All workers benefit when the playing field is level. UNITE HERE joins with our business, community, faith-based, and union allies in the struggle to get this balanced legislation approved. We urge President Bush and Congress to pass the bill.

Former President of the Textile Workers Union of America and dedicated pioneer labor leader for more than 70 years, Sol Stetin died in St. Louis on May 20 of complications of leukemia. Born on April 2, 1910 in Pabianice, Poland, near the silk center of Lodz, to Fanny and Hymen Stetin, he arrived at Ellis Island in 1921 at the age of ten and settled with his family in the silk city of Paterson NJ. During the turbulent years of the Great Depression, he worked in a dye shop, and soon joined a union. He became an organizer, leading strikes and organizing campaigns.

Elected Secretary-Treasurer of the Textile Workers Union of America in 1968 and President in 1972, he immediately took on the textile workers’ rights campaign in the South, including the J.P. Stevens Company effort on which the film –

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.