On May 19, Woodfin Suites in Emeryville hired right-wing students from Young Republican clubs at UC Davis and San Francisco State University to harass and intimidate workers on the picket line. The counter-protesters, taking direction from hotel management, were allowed to stand on hotel property and disrupt the picket.
As workers tried to separate themselves from the racist protesters—who were spouting anti-immigrant comments—
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Several weeks earlier, on April 27, Woodfin fired 11 hotel housekeepers. Many of those fired are the sole providers for their families. Most are still unable to find work. The terminated workers and supporters have been holding weekly pickets since then. They are demanding reinstatement and over $200,000 in back pay.
Wage increase
In November 2005, Emeryville voters passed Measure C, a living wage law for hotel workers. The measure sets a maximum workload and guarantees a living wage. The campaign was led by the East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy and Unite Here, Local 2850.
After Measure C’s implementation, workers received a wage increase and lightened workload from 16 to 10 rooms per shift. But the victory did not come without a capitalist backlash.
In December 2006, 21 workers were served with termination notices due to “no-match” letters. A “no-match” letter is a document from the federal Social Security Administration informing a worker that they do not have a valid Social Security number.
It is against federal and state law to fire employees who receive “no-match” letters. Yet, employers often use the letters to intimidate and fire immigrant workers.
The 21 women who were fired had worked at Woodfin Suites for years. The hotel had not been concerned about the “no-match” letters until they demanded their rights. The hotel clearly retaliated against them for organizing.
Community support and worker determination forced the hotel to back down in part. The bosses were only able to fire 11 of the 21 workers. The workers and their allies are currently fighting for the 11 additional workers’ jobs.
The hotel and service sector is increasingly on the forefront of labor struggles. As the corporations involved compete for higher profits, they are unable—unlike the manufacturing sector—to outsource their labor due to the nature of their business. They can only increase profits by lowering wages and increasing workloads.
In response, the bosses find themselves facing increasing resistance from workers. Militant campaigns such as those carried out during the 2005 Unite Here, Local 2, contract fight with San Francisco hotels, and the current battle with Woodfin have built effective community support and solidarity with the struggling workers.
Click here to read more from PSL on the Woodfin workers’ struggle.
