For immediate release
March 30, 2007
Matt Erlich
617) 480-5464
Officials Use Occasion of Conference to Pledge Support for Crowne Plaza Workers
Hudson County Executive and Mayors Join the Call for RosDev Group to Meet with Workers, Agree on a Fair Contract
Who: Honorable Thomas DeGise, Hudson County Executive
Honorable Nicholas J. Sacco, Senator
Honorable Joan Quigley, Assemblywoman 32nd District
Honorable Vincent Prieto, Asseblyman 32nd District
Honorable Sal Vega, Mayor of West New York
Honorable Dennis Elwell, Mayor of Secaucus
Honorable Jerramiah Healy, Mayor of Jersey City
Honorable David Roberts, Mayor of Hoboken
Honorable David Della Donna, Mayor of Guttenberg
Honorable Raymond McDonough, Mayor of Harrison
What: Mayor Sal Vega of West New York is hosting a fundraising event at the boycotted hotel: Crowne Plaza Meadowlands. Once informed of the boycott, Vega tried, to no avail, to move the event. However, he and his fellow Hudson County mayors have pledged support for the Crowne Plaza workers, promising to move all future events from the hotel until workers there receive a fair contract.
During Friday’s event, they will meet with workers to pledge their support and acknowledge several workers who have led the fight. A letter addressed to hotel owner Michael Rosenberg signed by all of the mayors will be delivered to the hotel’s general manager Mike Asouti.
Where: Crowne Plaza Meadowlands Hotel, 2 Harmon Plaza, Secaucus, NJ
When: Friday, March 30 at 5:30pm
For over two years, Canadian-based real estate giant RosDev Group, who acquired the Crowne Plaza location in Dec 2004, has thwarted workers’ attempts to negotiate a contract that will ensure them decent wages, benefits and working conditions.
In fact, when RosDev took over at the location it unilaterally stripped union members of their seniority and robbed workers of hundreds of thousands of dollars of paid vacation. The National Labor Relations Board has declared RosDev’s actions illegal and ordered the company to pay workers, but RosDev refuses to comply or to negotiate with workers.
Now elected and public officials from Hudson County are joining the rising chorus of community leaders who want to see Crowne Plaza Meadowlands workers given a fair shake. In a letter sent this week, the public officials urged the hotel management to settle the contract dispute with the New York/New Jersey Joint Board of UNITE HERE.
“As a sign of support to each and every member of this union,