San Francisco Hotel News & Labor Updates

LOCAL 2 UNION FORCES HILTON EMPLOYEES TO TAKE STRIKE VOTE AS NEGOTIATIONS START WITH HYATT HOTELS Union’s Failed Leadership Leaves Economic Clouds over San Francisco’s Fiscal Future September 15, 2010 SAN FRANCISCO – Employees of Hilton San Francisco Union Square Hotel are being forced to take a strike vote today by leaders of hotel employees union UNITE HERE Local 2 just as the union finally sits down Thursday at the bargaining table with Hyatt hotel managers for contract negotiations. The contract between San Francisco’s hotels and Local 2 expired a year ago in August 2009 and the leadership of the 9,000 member union has made little effort to meet and negotiate with various hotels in San Francisco, according to Patricia Breslin, the executive director of the San Francisco Hotel Council. “Local 2’s leader, Mike Casey, is more interested in pursuing a national union strategy than in representing his own members,” Breslin said. “During the past year, Casey and Local 2 have cost San Francisco more than $10 million in lost business—which simply went to the same hotel organizations in different cities. He is hurting the union and the City of San Francisco.” It is expected, if not pre-determined, that the Hilton employees will vote to strike as Breslin noted union leaders have been seeking votes from employees by asking them to vote ‘yes’ to a strike without the benefit of a secret ballot. Local Hilton officials said that should the employees strike it will remain fully operational with managers and temporary replacements, with little if any disruption to guests. Breslin noted that hotels have suffered economically during the past two years with reduced occupancy and lower nightly rates, both to keep business coming to San Francisco and to keep their employees working throughout the difficult economy. She noted that in the past, Local 2 had 14,000 members. Today, it’s down to approximately 9,000. “It’s past due for Casey and Local 2 to come to the table and get serious about negotiations,” Breslin said. She noted that wages and benefits for hotel employees average approximately $60,000 for housekeepers and more than $100,000 annually for banquet workers. “The hospitality industry values and pays its associates well,” Breslin said. “While each hotel’s situation is different, the sticking point in negotiations, when the union has joined management at the table, has been about healthcare costs and benefits.” [...]