Hotel Boycott Launch and March
Columbia Sussex, a national hotel owner with several hotels in the
local area, has been using the economic downturn as an excuse to cut
workers wages and benefits to distressing levels. Columbia Sussex is
currently engaged in bitter labor disputes at four of its union
properties, including the Sheraton City Centre in Baltimore and the
Hilton Crystal City in Arlington.
At each of these hotels the Company has declared impasse after months
or years of fruitless negotiations in which the Company made no
consequential changes to its opening proposals. As a result the Company
has implemented, without Union agreement, proposals which have:
· Reduced work opportunities for long-time employees
· Eliminated sick days
· Eliminated seniority rights
· Increase d employee co-pays for Dental, Optical, and Health Insurance
Increased housekeeper workloads
· Forced workers to work at several jobs at the same time
At each of these hotels workers have called on the public to boycott
these properties until a fair contract can be reached.
Locally Columbia Sussex owns the Westin City Centrer located at 14th
and M St. NW. Workers at this non-union property are exposed to the same
kind of cost-cutting without the benefit of a Union that is fighting to
maintain decent working standards.
As a result UNITE HERE International Union has called for, and we have
endorsed, a boycott of the Westin City Centre to be launched on March
25, 2010.
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