Over 1,000 hotel workers and supporters shut down the street in front of the Palace Hotel in downtown San Francisco. The action was part of a campaign to win a new contract from the Multi-Employer Group. The group represents a consortium of 13 upscale hotels in San Francisco.
A block-long picket line filled the streets and circled in front of the Palace. The picket was in solidarity with workers from
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The action came after the union’s 4,000 workers voted last week to authorize a strike. Ninety-three percent of the union workers voted in favor of striking. The union went on strike in September 2004 for two weeks at four of the Multi-Employer Group’s hotels. The group responded by locking out all workers at its member hotels. The union set up all-day pickets at the hotels and mobilized community support. It took a nearly eight-week battle to force the hotel owners to end the lockout.
Now, almost two years later, the workers are still without a contract. The union is resisting hotel demands that would increase the cost of health care for low-paid hotel workers.
The union has five basic demands: maintain affordable healthcare for workers, families and retirees; workload protection to avoid injury; a modest wage increases to meet the rising cost of living; the right of non-union workers to freely choose a union; and a decent pension, so that workers can retire with dignity.
