Trump Fails to Show at Union Negotiations
Las Vegas Trump Workers Seeking Union Contract Protest at Trump Rally in New Orleans and Vow to Continue Tour on Campaign Trail
[New Orleans, LA] On March 4, Trump hotel workers demonstrated at a Trump campaign rally in New Orleans, after Mr. Trump failed to show at contract negotiations organized by employees of the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas. Trump workers won a union election in December 2015, but since that time Trump’s company has refused to recognize the results of a union election, forestalling negotiations while it engages in legal challenges.
In response, Trump workers launched a tour on February 22nd, following Trump on the campaign trail and inviting him to come to the table and make a deal. The Trump Hotel Negotiating Committee invited Mr. Trump to negotiations in Las Vegas before the GOP Caucus in Nevada, delivered a petition to his home offices in Manhattan, and followed the Republican presidential candidate to New Orleans, where he is speaking today. Thus far, Mr. Trump has failed to show up at negotiations or issue a response.
Trump workers say they just want a fair deal like his company has made with workers in Canada. Last year, Trump’s hotel negotiated a first contract with workers in Toronto after they voted to form a union.
“If Donald Trump wants to ‘Make America Great Again’ he should start by negotiating with us a fair deal like his company made with his workers in Canada,” says Maria Jaramillo, a housekeeper at Trump Las Vegas. She is part of the Trump Hotel Negotiating Committee traveling the country to call on Trump to negotiate. “I’m living check to check, and I have four young kids to support. We need a contract now.”
Since December of 2015, Trump’s company has refused to bargain with workers, instead filing objections that have tied up the process in a lengthy legal battle. After a three-week evidentiary hearing, a Hearing Officer for the National Labor Relations Board found no objectionable conduct by workers or the Union that would interfere with a free and fair election. Hearing Officer Lisa Dunn recommended in her report issued February 18th that the hotel’s objections should “be overruled in their entirety.” Undeterred, the hotel has asked the Board to reject the report.
Trump workers are vowing to continue their tour of the United States in pursuit of a sit-‐down with Mr. Trump.
“Mr. Trump says he has support from unions and workers, but he refuses to deal with us. We work hard to make Mr. Trump’s hotel in Las Vegas beautiful and profitable,” says Jaramillo. “All we want is respect. We won an election fair and square. He’s running for President. Shouldn’t he respect our election too?”
Follow the tour online at: #TrumpDeal2016
UNITE HERE represents 270,000 women and men across North America who work in the hotel, gaming, food service, manufacturing, textile, distribution, laundry, transportation, and airport industries. Learn more at www.unitehere.org.