Workers at the Westin Seattle showed up in full force to demand a fair contract during a rally on Nov. 3, but they were not alone. A group of Occupy Seattle demonstrators turned up to show their support. The two groups stand hand-in-hand in their battle for workers’ rights around the country as they both refuse to be pushed around by the 1% and call for fair treatment.
Contract negotiations continue between the Westin Seattle, a part of the Starwood Inc. chain, and the hospitality industry workers of UNITE HERE Local 8. The fight for a fair contract has dragged on for months now as the union works to make sure over 1,400 King County hotel workers’ rights are not ignored. The hospitality industry wants to cut back staffing and increase the work load to compensate for the sour economy. However, recent forecasts predict that the hotel industry will once again begin to turn profits in 2012 and 2013.
Occupy Seattle is not the only group to stand behind the Westin’s union employees. While not on the picket line, leaders from the National Immigration Integration Conference, which was held at the hotel, voiced their stance on the issue. More than a dozen conference leaders stormed the hotel’s main office with the message that they stand in unity with the workers and would participate in a boycott of the Westin if an agreement was not reached. OneAmerica Executive Director Pramila Jayapal, speaking on behalf of the group, said, “We really wanted to deliver the message that we stand with the workers now, and always will, and we want a fair contract.”
The hotel industry in Seattle has a history of labor disputes resulting in many protests and boycotts. In August, 400 union workers stood in solidarity outside a Sea-Tac Airport hotel to demand a livable wage and job security. Most recently, after a deal was not met between Local 8 and the Seattle Hilton, hundreds of union members led a demonstration outside the property. One hundred unionized Hilton employees now live in fear of losing their jobs if the newly for sale hotel is sold.
Still, progress was made for union workers of the Westin; at the last meeting: the hotel agreed to give Local 8 workers added job security in the form of a written successorship proposal. Westin also ceded their plans to contract out their laundry department to a non-union company.
The battle is far from over though, as union executives are still fighting to keep a fair wage, affordable benefits, and improved sick leave. The union is trying to insure the right to organize for future Starwood hotel employees in King County. Local 8 promises they will start a boycott against Westin Seattle if an agreement is not reached by their next meeting. Now is the time to show the power of numbers, solidarity is called for wherever support can be given. Contract negotiations resume Nov. 15.
