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In This Message:
I. Hilton Garden Inn (Ithaca)
Settles on 'Unfair Labor Practice' Charge Brought to National
Labor Relations Board by Workers' Center
II. Workers' Center Learns
of the Importance of 'Concerted Action' Through Our Justice for
Hotel Workers Campaign
III. Workers' Center to Hold
Freesale on Wednesday, March 12th at 2 pm to Dusk
I. Hilton
Garden Inn (Ithaca) Settles on 'Unfair Labor Practice' Charge
Brought to National Labor Relations Board by Workers
Center
The National Labor Relations
Board (NLRB) has upheld an Unfair Labor Practice brought by
the Tompkins County Workers' Center, on behalf of Michelle
Lopez, for violating federal labor law on workers' freedom of
assocation.
In a Press Conference this past Thursday in front of the
Hilton Garden Inn Hotel in Ithaca, attended in cold weather by
over 50 Workers' Center Members completing a 40 Hour Fast in
support of hotel workers, the Workers' Center announced the
settlement proferred by the NLRB.
Ex-Hilton
Housekeeper, Joan Keyser, Speaks at Press Conference About the
Fears That She, and Many Other Workers Experience Working in
Such Jobs; To Keyser's Left is Reverend Rich Rose, Pastor at the
First Baptist Church of Ithaca (Photo: Marty Luster/Photo News
Service)
Hilton Garden management promises not to threaten employees
with discipline for discussing terms and conditions of
employment with each other. The settlement stems from the
discharge of Housekeeper Michelle Lopez and management's threat
to fire workers who discussed her termination from the
hotel.
Lopez says that she considers the result a victory. "I am
winning by being able to tell other workers they can organize",
adding that she feels hotel housekeepers ought to be shown more
respect by getting paid more. "I'll continue the fight through
the Workers Center to try to raise the minimum wage, and let
workers know that they are worth so much more than $7.15 an
hour."
As part of the settlement with the Hilton Garden Inn, the
hotel will have to post, for 60 days, a statement that tells
employees that they cannot be threatened with discipline for
discussing workplace conditions. Employees do not have to be
told that the posting even exists.
The Workers' Center sees the victory as a partial one as the
National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) failed to challenge Lopez'
discharge. We have decided not to pursue the discharge case due
to the fact that the 5-member NLRB in Washington, now controlled
by Bush Administration appointees, would find in favor of
management.
Lance Compa, labor law professor at Cornell's Industrial and
Labor Relations School said, "Unfortunately, with the NLRB in
Washington tilting against workers' rights, it has become very
difficult for regional board offices to enfore labor law
protections. Fortunately, this regional office did see fit to
move against violations of the broader group of employees'
rights to discuss terms and conditions of employment without
facing threats of retaliation by hotel management".
Media coverage of the Press Conference can be found
below:
The Workers' Center is continuing to organize workers in the
Tompkins County hotel industry for better working conditions.
Says Neisha Butler, Workers' Center hotel organizer, "paying
these workers $7.15 an hour, as these hotels do, and not
providing affordable health insurance, is disrespectful of the
important work these people do for the hotels, unfair to the
workers' families, and irresponsible in a community that values
all our citizens equally".
II.
Workers' Center Learns of the Importance of 'Concerted Action'
Through Our Justice for Hotel Workers
Campaign
Our work with hotel workers in recent months, and
specifically through the Michelle Lopez' situation with the
Hilton Garden Inn Hotel has helped us to learn a great deal
about Federal labor law. Most specifically is the realization
that 'concerted action' is something that is protected by the
National Labor Relations Act. Concerted action simply means
to act together with other people
From the National Labor Relations Board website, www.nlrb.gov, comes the
following which describes what 'concerted action' is:
The National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) protects
employees' rights to engage in protected concerted activities
with or without a union, which are usually group activities (2
or more employees acting together) attempting to improve working
conditions, such as wages and benefits. Some examples of such
activities include:
a) 2 or more employees addressing their employer about
improving their working conditions and pay;
b) 1 employee speaking to his/her employer on behalf of
him/herself and one or more co-workers about improving workplace
conditions;
c) 2 or more employees discussing pay or
other work-related issues with each other.
The NLRA also protects any individual employee's
right to engage in union support, membership, and activities.
The NLRA also protects an individual employee's right to not
engage in union activities or in other protected concerted
activities.
If you find yourself being mistreated at work as a
result of taking some sort of 'concerted action', please let the
Workers' Center know. Of course, if you're mistreated at work
anytime, you should feel free to contact the Workers Rights
Hotline at 607-269-0409, or visit our office at 115 The Commons
in Ithaca. In addition, we have our Workers'
Rights Handbook now up online. Thanks to the Cortland
Workers' Rights Board for production of this booklet!
III.
Workers' Center to Hold FreeSale on Wednesday, March 12th at 2
pm to Dusk
The Workers' Center, with the vision of a kid-friendly space
with less clutter, will be holding a FreeSale on the Commons in
front of Autumn Leaves Used Books this coming Wednesday, March
12th from 2 p.m. to dusk. (Should it be snowing/raining, the
FreeSale will be held upstairs in the Workers' Center).
Various items at the FreeSale will include old computers;
keyboards; telephones; clothing; general office sorts of things.
Please feel free to stop by!
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