70 Hilton workers suspended (for wanting to unionize)

[question everything]

The Daily Breeze

Saturday, May 13, 2006

70 Hilton workers suspended

Employees at nonunion facility near LAX are barred after a demonstration seeking improved working conditions earlier this week. L.A. Councilwoman Hahn leads some who try to re-enter.
By Dan Laidman
Copley News Service

The ongoing struggle over unionizing Los Angeles International Airport-area hotels took a contentious turn Friday as the LAX Hilton suspended about 70 workers for taking part in a demonstration, prompting a union to file charges with a federal labor board.

Unions and activist groups have held a series of labor actions at the hotel this week as part of a wider campaign of linking revitalization efforts in the Century Corridor with improved working conditions. The stretch of Century Boulevard leading to LAX from the San Diego (405) Freeway has one of the county's highest concentrations of hotel beds -- and no union contracts.

The situation escalated Friday morning when City Councilwoman Janice Hahn led scores of the suspended employees in an attempt to re-enter the hotel, only to be rebuffed by security guards.

(snip)


Find this article at:
http://www.dailybreeze.com/news/articles/2797616.html

[Monk06]

1. This would never happen in Canada.

[FreakinDJ]

3. No Teamster drivers left around LA

That used to be about the only way to get a Hotel like the Hilton to allow organising. The Teamsters would just stop delivering.

Hopefully the SEIU is lined up to legally represent these workers. If not and they are reading this post I recomend they go there first thing monday morning

[napi21]

2. What happened to the being free to unionize?

I could almost see this in SC or GA but CALIF?

Calif isn't a right to work state is it?

[Tempest]

5. It's illegal for a company to interfer with unionization attempts

This is a federal crime.

[napi21]

6. That's what I thought. So why are all these employees dismissed?

Is this just blatant breaking the law and the employees will be brought back and compensated for their lost time?

[Solo_in_MD]

10. Reading the article...

The workers exceed protected organizing activities. Then again, unless we were there, balanced presentation is hard to come by. When I have seen this kind of thing in the past (people termed) when the union gets in, those people being rehired has been part of the contract.

Given the high profile nature of this, I can not imagine Hilton doing this unless they had a solid case.

[yourout]

4. Illegal immigrants should be legalized only if they join a Union.

That would get the Bushies undies in a bunch.

[IndianaGreen]

7. So Paris Hilton's lavish lifestyle is based on exploiting workers?

NOOOOOOOOO!

:P

[Starbucks Anarchist]

9. "That's hot."

:mad:

[TexasLawyer]

15. Slavery is

HOT! And financially rewarding! We're loving it!

[Monk06]

8. Russian diplomat........."I like to stay in Paris Hilton for night. How..

much cost?

Desk Clerk........"Zat weel be five hundred Euros monsieur, ze condom eez extra."

Sorry couldn't resist.

[feminazi]

11. How the hell does anyone survive on $6.75/hour?

"El Segundo resident Patricia Simmons, who has been a waitress at the hotel for 19 years and makes $6.75 per hour plus tips, said the loss of several work days is hitting her family hard."

How the hell does anyone survive on $6.75/hour? Especially in LA?

I really hope the "death tax" is abolished so none of the Hiltons ever have to work for $6.75 an hour.
:sarcasm:

[notadmblnd]

12. you live with 10 or 15 other relatives that make 6.75 an hour

it's the norm here with the hispanic population.

[question everything]

16. Plus tips

At least, the employer and the IRS hike the income by 10%. Not that $7.42 an hour is much better.

[LostinVA]

17. But you get taxes on a certain dollar amount of tips, even if you

don't make that much in tips. Gotta have these tax laws because of all the millionaire wait staff cheating the IRS, you know...

[davsand]

13. K & R in solidarity with the workers.

I'm not staying in any Hilton property until this is resolved.

How about YOU?


Laura

[pooja]

18. BOYCOTT

Then you shouldn't stay at any hotel in this great country because the normal wage is below par... especially when having to cater to ingnorant, rude Americans and foreign travellers

[davsand]

20. Welcome to DU!

This is my first time running into you on here. Welcome to DU!

As for not staying in hotels, period, I have to say you are correct that most folks in that industry are underpaid. I also think that most Americans who are working for an hourly wage are in that same bad situation. Similarly, those folks frequently don't get any benefits with that job that pays so little.

Some of the things that we ALL need to be working for would be a living wage and health care for all.


Regards!


Laura

[Omaha Steve]

14. NLRB board 3 Reps 2 Dems do the math

Liebman and Walsh are the 2 Democrats on the 5 member board. Just like the Congress and Senate, they have control of what happens at the NLRB!

http://www.nlrb.gov/nlrb/about/structure/board.asp

[AnnieBW]

19. I've Stayed In That Hotel

Fantasticon, a big sci-fi convention, used to be held in that hotel back in the 90's. I didn't know that it was non-union. x(