Hotel workers rally for a fair contract
By
BALTIMORE--Hotel workers from the Baltimore City Center Sheraton and their allies--nearly 500 people--poured into the streets and marched from the War Memorial Plaza to the hotel on November 18 to demand a fair contract.
This was one of the largest showings of support for the hotel workers' struggle in several years. The workers, organized by UNITE HERE, have been without a union contract since April 2006 and have been boycotting the own hotel for over a year.
Hotel workers from other UNITE HERE locals--including some from as far away as Anchorage, Alaska--turned out to show their support. Many of these union locals are also engaged in similar struggles at their hotels, as part of a nationwide struggle against the Columbia Sussex Corporation, which owns the Sheraton and the other hotels.
At one point, there were enough marchers to completely encircle the hotel property. Protesters then used a light projector to shine the word "Boycott" in front of the name of the hotel.
Columbia Sussex has increased workers' already unsafe workloads, increased the cost of their health benefits, eliminated key rights and is insisting on the right to contract out positions against the workers' will. Unfortunately, in the last month, the situation has grown worse. The hotel has fired four people and laid off two long-time employees without regard to seniority rights.
A food drive was launched in order to ensure that these workers would have fewer worries over the winter holidays. During the march, dozens of bags of food were donated and collected, and will be distributed to all the workers.
Many marchers celebrated the recent Democratic Party election victory and the potential that the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA)--legislation that would loosen restrictions on card-check neutrality agreements--will become law. Such agreements would help bolster efforts by workers to form unions. A strong desire exists to exert pressure in the first year of the Obama administration to pass the EFCA.
Hotel workers and their allies have vowed to continue the fight until management agrees to their demands.
