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Hotel Lockout Ends
Saturday morning, in negotiations at Mayor Gavin Newsom's
office, the San Francisco Multi-Employer Group agreed to end the
lockout.
office, the San Francisco Multi-Employer Group agreed to end the
lockout.
Hotel Lockout Ends
Saturday morning, in negotiations at Mayor Gavin Newsom's
office, the San Francisco Multi-Employer Group agreed to end the
lockout.
UNITE HERE! Local 2 members will return to their jobs next week.
Local 2 and the hotels have agreed to a 60-day cooling-off
period during which the Union agrees not to strike and the
hotels agree not to lock out. Negotiations will continue in an
attempt to settle the outstanding issues in the contract:
medical benefits, pension contributions, retiree benefits, right
to organize, wages, and contract term.
"The members of Local 2 stood strong against the employers'
lockout," said Mike Casey, President of UNITE HERE! Local 2. "By
returning to our jobs we can now negotiate a fair contract on a
level playing field."
"On behalf of the members of Local 2, I would like to express
our gratitude to the many people who have helped us in this
fight so far - both here in San Francisco, across North America,
and around the world."
Because the lockout has been ended, the "Defend San Francisco"
Rally on Tuesday, November 23rd, has been cancelled. However,
San Francisco's hotel workers continue to struggle for a fair
contract. Please visit http://www.unitehere2.org to stay up-to-date
with Local 2's campaign.
Saturday morning, in negotiations at Mayor Gavin Newsom's
office, the San Francisco Multi-Employer Group agreed to end the
lockout.
UNITE HERE! Local 2 members will return to their jobs next week.
Local 2 and the hotels have agreed to a 60-day cooling-off
period during which the Union agrees not to strike and the
hotels agree not to lock out. Negotiations will continue in an
attempt to settle the outstanding issues in the contract:
medical benefits, pension contributions, retiree benefits, right
to organize, wages, and contract term.
"The members of Local 2 stood strong against the employers'
lockout," said Mike Casey, President of UNITE HERE! Local 2. "By
returning to our jobs we can now negotiate a fair contract on a
level playing field."
"On behalf of the members of Local 2, I would like to express
our gratitude to the many people who have helped us in this
fight so far - both here in San Francisco, across North America,
and around the world."
Because the lockout has been ended, the "Defend San Francisco"
Rally on Tuesday, November 23rd, has been cancelled. However,
San Francisco's hotel workers continue to struggle for a fair
contract. Please visit http://www.unitehere2.org to stay up-to-date
with Local 2's campaign.
For more information:
http://www.unitehere2.org
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Comments
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Just as the newspaper strike of a 10 years ago or so ended in the office of Democratic Party's Chamber of Commerce mayor Frank Jordan, so too did the hotel workers' lockout/former strike end in the office of the Democratic Party's Chamber of Commerce mayor Gavin Newsom.
Obviously, a strike must expand or die, and this 60 day cooling off period is death. If the union was not prepared to at least call all of its members in the City of San Francisco onto a strike, and better yet, the entire labor force of San Francisco to a general strike, then it was not prepared to win.
As has been obvious to anyone who has observed these 14 struck/locked out hotels for the past 7 weeks, there is almost no business at these hotels. The large corporations that own these hotels were clearly sustaining a loss to bust the union, and the union certainly knows they have the strength to do that as that is why the union wants the contract to expire in 2006, when all other contracts with these hotels expire nationwide.
However, with a general strike citywide, the struck hotels would have been forced to sign the union contract in one day. The day after Thanksgiving is a big shopping day and would have been good for a general strike.
Now the workers know they will lose benefits if they try to strike in January, which is a dead time anyhow for tourism, and they will not go out. They are working without a contract, which means they essentially have no union.
Meanwhile, we had a good solidarity march today of about 1,000 people of all ages and colors, marching from Union Square to the 4 Seasons hotel on Market near 4th St, then the Sheraton Palace on Market at New Montgomery, then the Hyatt Regency at Market and the Embarcadero.
I heard others say this is a good beginning. I have been hearing that all my life, over 50 years. When are we going to move beyond the beginning?
Obviously, a strike must expand or die, and this 60 day cooling off period is death. If the union was not prepared to at least call all of its members in the City of San Francisco onto a strike, and better yet, the entire labor force of San Francisco to a general strike, then it was not prepared to win.
As has been obvious to anyone who has observed these 14 struck/locked out hotels for the past 7 weeks, there is almost no business at these hotels. The large corporations that own these hotels were clearly sustaining a loss to bust the union, and the union certainly knows they have the strength to do that as that is why the union wants the contract to expire in 2006, when all other contracts with these hotels expire nationwide.
However, with a general strike citywide, the struck hotels would have been forced to sign the union contract in one day. The day after Thanksgiving is a big shopping day and would have been good for a general strike.
Now the workers know they will lose benefits if they try to strike in January, which is a dead time anyhow for tourism, and they will not go out. They are working without a contract, which means they essentially have no union.
Meanwhile, we had a good solidarity march today of about 1,000 people of all ages and colors, marching from Union Square to the 4 Seasons hotel on Market near 4th St, then the Sheraton Palace on Market at New Montgomery, then the Hyatt Regency at Market and the Embarcadero.
I heard others say this is a good beginning. I have been hearing that all my life, over 50 years. When are we going to move beyond the beginning?
I think the workers and the union are glad to be at work. The giving in on the lockout at the wane of the tourist season is not at the advantage of the hotel owners, so I think it is a concession. But frankly, I don't know their reasoning since their asses are far away in Japan. You're dealing with a different animal, insofar as that the corporation is so far removed from the actual "scene of the crime" that it's hard to know what is being impacted.
However, I agree that now is not the time to give up the fight. I am not a union member or a member of local two, but I support the labor movement. Now is the time we should continue the pressure, however we do that. Bad publicity usually works wonders.
And I was also at the march/rally. At most there was 250 people. That's including the sectarians and their paper selling cadets.
However, I agree that now is not the time to give up the fight. I am not a union member or a member of local two, but I support the labor movement. Now is the time we should continue the pressure, however we do that. Bad publicity usually works wonders.
And I was also at the march/rally. At most there was 250 people. That's including the sectarians and their paper selling cadets.
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