NYT: S.F. Hotel Workers Holding Strike Vote

[Omaha Steve]

http://bayarea.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/22/sf-hotel-workers-holding-strike-vote/

October 22, 2009, 7:59 pm

By Gerry Shih


Gerry Shih Members of Unite Here Local 2 filled out ballots at Civic Auditorium.


An escalating dispute between thousands of hospitality workers and their hotel employers in San Francisco is threatening to deal a multimillion-dollar blow to the $8.5 billion tourism industry, possibly within the next few weeks.

More than 2,000 members of Unite Here Local 2 are voting today at the downtown Civic Auditorium on whether to authorize a citywide strike against 31 hotels. A final vote tally will be concluded by 8:30 p.m. Union leaders said on late Thursday morning that they expect the strike vote to pass easily.

Since the previous three-year contract expired in mid-August, the 9,000-member union, led by long time labor organizer Michael T. Casey, has been stymied in contract negotiations. They are bargaining with representatives of the Hyatt, Hilton, Starwood and Intercontinental hotel chain.

Authorizing the union to strike, however, is very different from actually striking.

FULL story at link.

[Auggie]

1. Wouldn't it be more effective to strike in tourist season?