Hotels Counter Union Charges
MARCH 3, 2006. The American Hotel & Lodging Association has challenged the assertions made by the "Change to Win" labor coalition about hotel workers' wages and benefits.
"Contrary to the accusations made by this group yesterday, the hotel industry provides affordable, quality health care, competitive wages that grow year after year, and generous benefits to its hardworking employees," said AH&LA President/CEO Joe McInerney, CHA. "These false claims mask 'Change to Win's' real agenda, which is to use union dues money to grow its declining membership rolls."
According to AH&LA, "Change to Win" has championed an organizing technique called "card check," which would eliminate the traditional secret ballot elections for union representation. The "Change to Win" unions want the company to agree to unionization, instead of letting employees vote on this important issue and decide for themselves. The unions have also demanded that many employers sign a "neutrality agreement," which prevents an employer from communication with employees about the pros and cons of unionization.
"The hotel industry is committed to fair contract negotiations for our workers in each city. We want to reach agreements that benefit our employees," McInerney said. "But the 'Change to Win' campaign and recent leafleting in 60 cities is designed to pressure companies into signing these 'card check neutrality agreements' and deprive our employees of the right to choose for themselves."
McInerney also said that the hotel industry is not against unions and thinks that the choice of whether or not to join a union should be left up to employees. "We are not against unionization. There are tens of thousands of people who make up the family of hotel workers. Some are union members and some are not, and that's fine with us," McInerney said. "But the decision whether or not to join a union is an important one. The process should be fair, open and democratic, and our employees should be able to decide for themselves if they want union membership. It is their job. It is their life. It should be their choice."
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