Hotel Workers Rising - Westin Hotel Victory

In recent years, room rates have hit all-time, new highs. But instead of sharing in the hotel industry's record profits, many hotel workers – largely immigrant and women of color – earn poverty wages and are forced to work two jobs to get by.  Sage is a proud supporter of Hotel Workers Rising, a national campaign by the members of the hotel workers’ union, UNITE HERE, to improve their jobs and secure better lives for themselves and their families.  

Hotel housekeepers not part of a union in the Seattle-Bellevue-Everett area make only an average of $8.32/hour, while union workers make $11.07/hour.   Worker organizing and collective bargaining clearly can make a difference in fighting poverty.

Here in Seattle, UNITE HERE Local 8 kicked off Hotel Workers Rising with a labor-community campaign to improve wages and working conditions at the Westin Hotel in downtown Seattle.  Over eight months, Sage helped build community support for two large rallies, several community/worker picket lines, and a civil disobedience action with 20 supporters arrested while hundreds cheered them on.

In February of 2007, the workers signed an historic agreement with the Westin.  Highlights include:

    * Employer coverage of all health care cost increases over the life of the 5-year contract
    * No subcontracting of good, union jobs
    * Significant wage increases - $14/hr by the end of the contract for housekeepers
    * 50% increase in pension contributions by the employer
    * Reduction in workload to achieve worker safety
    * Protections for immigrant workers from harassment