Jan. 15, 2005 – Unions representing hotel workers in Washington, DC used a combination of persistence and traditional tactics such as picketing and the threat of an imminent strike on the eve of next week?s presidential inauguration ceremony to win what they call a very favorable contract offer from a local hotel management group.
On the eve of a union-imposed contract deadline, UNITE HERE Local 25 and the Hotel Association of Washington DC (HAWDC) reached a tentative agreement, easing the likelihood of a hotel workers? strike during Bush?s second inauguration. The two groups re-entered negotiations at noon yesterday in the hopes of resolving differences over economic issues, and hammered out a contract including new worker protections, better wages and a preservation of workers? health care benefits. The union did give in on one of its major demands: a shorter contract to allow for greater labor unity in coming years.
Initial reaction from the union was celebratory, though most members have yet to see the agreement negotiated yesterday.
"The contract language includes new protections from workload increases, harassment at the workplace and other problems workers sought to improve. The economic package improves wages, pension contributions and maintains a strong health care package," union spokesperson Amanda Cooper told The NewStandard. She declined to offer specifics until after members have read and voted on the contract. The ratification vote will take place early next week, she said.
A strike authorization vote taken two days before the contract ran out received overwhelming support, with 93 percent of participants voting in favor.
"This is amazing," said Delores Peoples, a switchboard operator at Loew?s L?Enfant Plaza was quoted as saying in a union press release. "We did this. By being strong and sticking together, we got what we needed and what we wanted.".
Calling the agreement "the best settlement ever in the history of Local 25," Executive Scretary Treasurer said in a press statement: "Our members proved again and again that they were both ready to reach an agreement, and ready to strike if they had to. Because of that resolve, we have made a huge leap forward for hotel workers in the District."
For their part, the 14-member hotel association is happy with the outcome of negotiations as well, according to their chief negotiator and spokespeople within the business association.
"The Hotels are extremely pleased with the agreement," Peter Chatilovicz, lead negotiator for the HAWDC bargaining group said. "All parties win with this agreement; most importantly, our employees."
The length of the contract had been a major issue throughout the five-month long negotiations. UNITE HERE had been pushing for a two-year deal in order to have the contract expire at the same time as contracts won with hotels in other large cities throughout the country, which would have given the union more leverage during future negotiations.
The management association, which represents local affiliates and franchises of national hotel chains as well as independent area hotels, argued for a longer contract term. "We believed very strongly in preserving a three-year contract," HAWDC spokesperson Lynn Lawson told TNS. "There were two factors driving that," she explained. "One, the fact that there had always been a three-year term to our contracts with workers. And two, the fact that it allows us to lock in much better health insurance rates than a two-year agreement would have."
UNITE HERE?s Cooper declined to specifically address why the union gave in on the issue. "That?s part of the terms which we?re not ready to comment on," she told TNS. "It?s important for members to have a chance to see the language in a contract before we make specific statements."
Members of Local 25 have been working without a contract since September 15, 2004, when the former one expired amidst contentious negotiations. They set tomorrow, January 15, 2005, as the deadline for winning a new contract. The local represents 3,500 workers at the 14 hotels that form the membership of HAWDC, in addition to another 1,200 workers at hotels that do not belong to the association, according to information provided by union officials. A strike authorization vote taken two days before the contract ran out received overwhelming support, with 93 percent of participants voting in favor.
The two sides met regularly throughout August and September, but until yesterday had been unable to resolve differences on key issues, including workload increases, health care, wage increases, and pensions, according to Cooper.
While progress had been made on non-economic issues, raises and a two-tiered health insurance proposal offered by the hotels were the main sticking points, Cooper said. The hotel group?s prior proposal would force new hires to pay health insurance premiums, which the union found unacceptable. Employees currently receive a fully-funded health insurance benefit, and HAWDC?s new proposal keeps that provision in place.
Prior to Friday?s session, tentative agreements were reached on items ranging from guaranteeing an eight hour workday and cutting back on the number of rooms housekeepers are required to clean each day, to preventing supervisors from verbally abusing employees and interrupting them while they are on break or lunch, according to spokespeople for both sides.
Still, the threat of a strike loomed large. Thousands of people are expected to be in town for the inauguration and union officials insisted that hotel workers were ready to use every weapon they had in order to secure a fair contract from DC hotels.
On January 7, the union issued a statement saying they were prepared to strike during inaugural festivities, should the two sides fail to reach an agreement. "More than 3,500 local workers may go on strike at 14 hotels before the inaugural events if they are not able to secure a fair contract settlement," Cooper?s statement read..
This week, hundreds of UNITE HERE Local 25 members in Washington, DC began holding informational pickets in front of hotels involved in contract negotiations, Cooper said. Workers have been picketing the Omni Shoreham, Renaissance Mayflower Hotel, Marriott Wardman Park Hotel, Westin Embassy Row, Washington Hilton & Towers, Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill, and the Capital Hilton Hotel.
"The union had set a deadline of January 15 to reach an agreement or take further action, up to and including a strike," Cooper said in a statement announcing the tentative agreement. "That action will be held until the workers vote on whether to accept or reject the settlement."
Union members are set to vote on the contract on Tuesday. If members choose not to ratify the new contract, a strike is still possible.
