Stamford hotel workers vote ‘yes’ to join union

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VOL. 35, NO. 12, DECEMBER 2017 WWW.SOCIALISTACTION.ORG U.S. $1 / CANADA $2 STAMFORD, Conn.—On Monday, Dec. 4, workers at the Hilton hotel voted overwhelmingly in favor of forming a union. With 110 for and only five against, it was a great victory for workers’ power and promises a better future for over 120 workers.

The workers decided to form their union with the help of UNITE HERE Local 217. For three weeks since the march for union recognition on Nov. 13, the workers of the Hilton have stayed on the offensive, with daily lunchtime delegations against the boss. They have gathered support from workers and stu­ dent throughout the state, the country, and interna­ tionally, and have more than weathered the storm of management’s anti-union campaign. And this was no amateur fight; management flew in union-busting lawyers like President Trump’s anti-union specialists Cruz and Associates to try to squash the union drive.

In the final week alone, it’s likely that Atrium Hos­ pitality, the company that runs the Hilton Stamford, spent over $1 million flying in union busting man­ agers from around the country, comping meals, and putting them up in suites. Still, the workers coun­ tered every lie and promise and stayed strong in the face of threats.

Housekeepers, cooks, banquet servers, bellmen, maintenance workers, and front-desk associates were relentless in shutting down meeting after meet­ ing that tried to intimidate and pull workers away from forming a union. In a final pathetic attempt to win the sympathy of their workers, Atrium sent let­ ters to their homes apologizing for their behavior, and begging for a second chance. The workers imme­ diately recognized this sad last attempt to trick them. All of management’s efforts could not stop the work­ ers from voting yes!

And so, on a cold Monday morning, dozens of Hil­ ton workers gathered on the corner of Greenwich Av­ enue in Stamford, Conn., and walked silently together in all their marvelous solidarity to vote. From the size of the crowd at 6 a.m., the outcome was clear. At 5:30 p.m., all the votes were tallied, and the outcome was official.

The vote, though, is just the beginning. The struggle continues with the fight for a strong contract. But it can be assured that no longer will housekeepers clean nearly 40 rooms daily for $11 an hour after de­ cades of backbreaking work. Banquet staff without health insurance will have health care with company contributions after years of going without. Servers will not cut fingers helping the always understaffed Socialist Action (Above) Ines, a housekeeper at the Hilton in Stamford, Conn., celebrates following the vote.

cooks prep food while all wash dishes to keep up with room service orders and a full restaurant.

Engineers will be properly trained and properly paid, and the front desk will not have to be every­ where at once just to keep the guests from leaving and never coming back. Bell workers will have the re­ spect they deserve for carrying luggage and driving guests throughout Stamford for little more than tips. And instead of so many full-time workers working two or three jobs to afford to live, there is the oppor­ tunity to spend more time with family and enjoy life.

While workers celebrated their well-won victory and rested up before the next battle, we can expect that the owners of Atrium Hospitality, representing 12 brands with 49 hotel properties in 26 states, went to bed Monday night with the stark realization that Tuesday morning they would wake up to a new real­ ity—they have been dealt a blow in Stamford by the might and militancy of the Hilton workers!

The authors: Ernie Gotta reports for Socialist Action; William Lewis reports for Left Voice.

For more on the hotel union drive, see page 4.

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Carlos García Rawlins / Reuters

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