por Mark Carney
Different religious denominations participated in a candle vigil in support of hotel workers in SF.
December, for several western religions, is a month held sacred, and a month in which, perhaps not coincidentally, social harmony is especially esteemed. This past Wednesday, December 8, the Progressive Jewish Alliance (PJA) and the Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice (CLUE-San Francisco), joined Local 2, the San Francisco hotel workers’ union, in a candlelight procession around Union Square to protest the stalled contract negotiations with the luxury hotels of downtown San Francisco. The procession, consisting of eight life-size candles and a banner reading “Shine A Light on Economic Justice for 12,000 Hotel Workers”, circled Union Square, and then delivered a life-size “holiday card” to Hyatt hotel management.
The eight candles symbolized the eighth night of Hanukkah, regarding which Rabbi Julie Sax-Taller, of the PJA, said,” One aspect of the miracle we celebrate during Hanukkah is the miracle of faithÑdespite that it appeared that they had only a small supply of fuel, the people took the step of faith as they lit the lamp in the ancient Temple. We can join the workers in having faith that they are on a worthy journey toward justice and dignity in the workplace.”
Members of the local faith community, according to a press release, urged the hotel industry ” to treat workers with respect and dignity, and provide just wages and safe working conditions.” At present, contract negotiations between Local 2 and hotel management have not resulted in any signifi cant agreements. Management is insisting that workers pay more for health insurance, and that wages remain stable. Local 2, on the other hand, refuses to agree to increases in health care premiums, and would like small wage increases.
The procession ended at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, owned by the Pritzker family. While Hyatt workers across North America experienced layoffs, increased workloads, reduced hours, and increasing rates of injury, the Pritzker family cashed out over $900 million in Hyatt shares. Company performance, too, was bright, as “higher levels of corporate and group business resulted in improved performance at convention and business hotels”, in the words of Hyatt CEO Mark Hoplamazian. Hilton, another of the luxury hotels with which Local 2 is negotiating, is owned by Blackstone Group, one of the largest private equity firms on Wall Street. Blackstone recently persuaded the Federal Reserve to write off $180 million of its debt, despite clearly having the resources to pay it off. Indeed, according to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, Blackstone expects revenue to increase by 50% this year.
For workers in these hotels struggling to pay their bills, the splendor and glory of high fi nance is less comprehensible. As Caddie Lin, a housekeeper at the Grand Hyatt, said ”I don’t understand how these hotel corporations can demand unaffordable concessions from us, especially as they keep growing. We make them millions. When will they start investing in us?
