Organization Forced to Move President Clinton's Lunch Speech, Hotels Have Lost Large Amounts of Income and Business Relationships Due to Boycott

LOS ANGELES — Hotel workers score another victory in their fight for health care and wages, as President Bill Clinton honors boycott.

Early this week, hotel workers were notified that President Bill Clinton will not be attending a lunch at the Century Plaza Hotel sponsored by the Association of Southern California Defense Counsels out of respect to hotel workers who have been without a contract for the past 10 months.

The Century Plaza, The Regent Beverly Wilshire, Sheraton Universal, Hyatt West Hollywood, Hyatt Downtown, Wilshire Grand Hotel, and the Westin Bonaventure are in the list of boycotted hotels, which has been in effect since last October.

Workers announced a boycott due the intimidation practices by the hotels. The multimillion dollar hotel chains, until last month, were charging workers a $40 monthly health care fee, which the union has alleged is illegal, and engaging in other, widesapread intimidation practices.

Meantime, other elected officials and organizations who are respecting the boycott include: the California Democratic Party who recently pulled their state convention from the Biltmore Hotel, Mayor Jim Hahn, the great majority of California Delegation in the State Assembly, Senate and Congress, and Los Angeles City Councilmembers.

Due to the on-going labor dispute with approximately, 2,500 hotel workers, elected leaders and organizations have refused to speak or make themselves present at events held at any of the boycotted hotels in support of the workers.

“We applaud the courage and support from former President Clinton and our elected leaders and organizations who have supported our fight for health care and decent wages for our hard work,” said Rocksand Ramirez, a housekeeper at the Century Plaza Hotel.

Hotel workers have consistently rejected the EC’s contract proposals because, among other issues, they do not guarantee sufficient employer contributions to maintain, for the duration of the agreement, the same level and quality of health benefits workers fought for and won in past contracts.

“Nothing compares to our family health benefits,” said Aida Marmol, a housekeeper at Westin Bonaventure hotel. “We will never give up fighting to make sure our children can be healthy and get the treatment they deserve.”