Hotel Workers Arrests on Labor Day
A Photodocumentary
By David Bacon
September 5, 2005
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - On Labor Day, hotel workers and supporters marched, and then sat in, blocking the doors to the Grand Hyatt Hotel. They were protesting the lack of a union contract at San Francisco's Class A hotels. Their union, UNITE HERE Local 2, wants an expiration date for their contract in 2006, which would allow the union to negotiate simultaneously in major US cities with large multinational hotel owners and operators. On Saturday, one of the 14 hotels in the Multi-Eimployer Group, the St. Francis, announced that it would agree to the 2006 expiration date. In response, the union lifted its boycott of that hotel, while continuing it at the 13 others. The demonstrators were led by Local 2 President Mike Casey, and UNITE HERE Hospitality Division President John Wilhelm, who were both among the 60 people arrested.
Copyright © 2005 David Bacon. for permission to reproduce, write to dbacon@igc.org
David Bacon is a freelance writer and photographer who writes regularly on labor and immigration issues. His latest book is "The Children of NAFTA" (University of California Press, 2004).