Jewish leaders and activists descended unannounced on the Century Plaza Hotel Nov. 23 to press for a resolution of the dispute between nine area hotels — the Plaza included — and the UNITE HERE, Local 11, the hotel workers union.

The group, which included Assemblywoman Jackie Goldberg (D-Los Angeles); Assemblyman Paul Koretz (D-West Hollywood); members of the Progressive Jewish Alliance, Workmen’s Circle, Sholem Community and the Leo Baeck Temple Social Action Committee, were quickly ushered into a meeting with Greg Clarke, the Plaza’s controller.

In solidarity with the workers, the Jewish delegation delivered a letter to management from 39 rabbis, stating in part: “As Jewish community leaders, we believe strongly in our tradition’s mandate to treat workers with respect — and take seriously our responsibility — to support the doing of justice.”

Clarke emphasized that hotel management is most concerned with defeating the union’s request for a two-year contract, which would allow it to band together with other unions nationwide to negotiate with the international hotel chains.

But with the contract length issue unresolved, management has begun charging a fee on the workers’ health-care plan, which the delegation spent much of the meeting discussing.

Several Plaza workers who spoke with the delegation earlier that afternoon also complained of disrespect at work, including management’s photographing of their mistakes on the job, as an impediment to a contract.

Goldberg was concerned that the negotiations are being spearheaded by the international hotel corporations, rather than local managers.

“We don’t see people we trust taking leadership positions to get this resolved,” Goldberg said in the meeting.

Other delegation members decried the punitive nature of the health-care fee hikes. Clarke maintained, “It’s not a major issue for us.”

Of the nine hotels involved in the long-running dispute — Millennium Biltmore, Westin Bonaventure, Hyatt Regency, Wilshire Grand, Regent Beverly Wilshire, Century Plaza, St. Regis, Hyatt West Hollywood and Sheraton Universal — the Plaza has traditionally been very popular among the Jewish community for events.

On Nov. 11, the union called for a boycott on the nine hotels, which the delegation promised to honor.

Goldberg said after the meeting that it would remind management that a concerned Jewish community is supporting the workers’ rights.

“There’s always an aftermath to a boycott,” Goldberg added, “and this hotel relies on our business.”

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