Members of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), the Teamsters, the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 870, and the Northern California Carpenters joined workers from various hotels, chanting slogans in Spanish and English that included "Ain’t no power like the power of the workers ‘cause the power of the workers don’t stop."

Numerous placards read, "Justice on the Job. One Union, One Industry, One Fight--HERE Local 2850 and SEIU Local 1877." The hour-long march ended at the Claremont Resort and Spa Hotel in the Oakland hills.

Members of Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees Union (HERE) Local 2850 are engaged in industry-wide negotiations covering more than 1,000 workers at the Claremont, the Berkeley Radisson, the Hilton and Marriot hotels in Oakland, and the Holiday Inns in Oakland and Emeryville. Workers oppose proposals by the bosses that include wage increases ranging from 5 cents to 20 cents an hour, and that would result in many paying an additional $200 per month for health-care coverage.

Local 2850 represents approximately 160 employees at the Claremont who are seeking a new union contract. An additional 140 spa workers are demanding that the hotel bosses recognize the union as their representative.

"We’ve had a number of rallies at the Claremont," said Susan Goodnoe, a massage therapist at the spa. "The issue is a crisis in the hospitality industry in the East Bay. We are marching for a fair contract. Management has carried out write-ups, suspensions, and firings."

Workers at the spa were fired and forced to reapply for their jobs after KSL Recreation took over the Claremont four years ago, they explained. Between 30 percent and 40 percent were rehired. One of them, Leslie Fitzgerald, lost $3 an hour in pay along with health benefits, which had previously kicked in after 20 hours of work. The threshold has been raised to 32 hours.

"If you get benefits you have to pay $300 per family per month," Goodnoe said. "People who work under 32 hours a week, which is 95 percent of us, have no benefits." Massage therapists are prone to back, neck, and repetitive-stress injuries, workers said.

"Management says that they’ve been losing money since September 11," said Norine Madrid, a nine-year employee at the Claremont Resort. "But we’re the ones who can’t get enough hours and are struggling to pay the bills. They shouldn’t balance their checkbook with my kids’ health insurance."

"Many of these corporations that claim they can’t afford to pay for basic health insurance are bringing in billions each year," said Stephanie Ruby of Local 2850.

The National Labor Relations Board recently issued a formal complaint alleging that the Claremont violated federal labor laws by making threats of firings, conducting illegal surveillance, interrogating employees, forcing employees to attend antiunion meetings, and illegally suspending employees for union activity. The NLRB has scheduled an August trial date to hear these charges.  
 
‘With the union we have strength’
"We are working only five or six hours a day," said Gloria Ayala, a home care worker and member of SEIU Local 616 since 1994. "We get $9 an hour and have medical but not dental benefits. We are asking for $11 an hour plus benefits.

"With the union we have strength," she continued. "We have our own rallies and come to support others also." Ayala said that their union contract has been extended until October.

Moung Saephan has worked at the Marriott hotel in downtown Oakland for 13 years and is a member of HERE Local 2850. "We have to fight," said Saephan. "There are many workers here from the Oakland Marriott. We need more money. Medical and dental costs are too much. We get more work cleaning rooms. You get a lot of pain in your hands, arms, knees and wrists."

Other workers explained why they were turning out for the August 1 action. "For a fair contract for all hotels and for health care, because we deserve it--we work hard--and because we need the right to organize and for nonunion workers to be union," said Carmen Rodriguez, an Oakland Marriott housekeeper.

"We are not paying anything for health insurance now and I don’t want to pay $200 a month for the next five years. A 5-cent raise is ridiculous. We’re going to show the Claremont and all the hotels that we are together and united," said Benson Wong, a cook at the Claremont.

"Because workers are getting paid less and less and health care is evaporating. There’s no freedom, just a growing feeling that you have to work just to make ends meet," said Mario Savione, a Claremont Hotel restaurant server.

"Because I want to support all hotel workers, including Radisson workers, to get better benefits and wages. We have to fight harder because we are one union, this is one fight, and we have to let all the bosses know we are not afraid," stated Carmelita Cotten, a housekeeper at the Berkeley Radisson.

"We are here to show the hotels and companies our power," said Marcos Ramirez, a Claremont Hotel houseperson. Melody Li, a housekeeper at the Oakland Marriott, added that "we need benefits, more money, and less rooms to clean. We will be powerful marching together!"

A Labor Day picket will take place at the Claremont Resort and Spa on Ashby near Claremont Avenue on Monday September 2 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. For more information call HERE Local 2850 at (510) 893-3181.

Deborah Liatos is a member of the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 120.  
 
 
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