Union,
S.F. Hotels Resume Talks
Los Angeles Times - October 9, 2004
By Ronald D. White
Talks
resumed Friday between 14 San Francisco hotels and the Unite
Here union, although no progress toward a new contract was
reported by late afternoon.
The
bargaining session, the first since Sept. 15, sought to resolve
differences that led to a two-week strike at four of the hotels.
That walkout is set to expire Wednesday. In retaliation, the
10 other hotels locked out union employees and brought in
replacement workers.
The
14 hotels, called the San Francisco Multi-Employer Group,
represent about one-fourth of the city's guestrooms and employ
4,350 members of Unite Here Local 2.
The
primary sticking point in the San Francisco negotiations,
as well as in similar talks in Los Angeles and Washington,
involves the union's demand for a two-year contract.
In
Los Angeles on Friday, Local 11 of the union won the support
of entertainment industry unions, including the American Federation
of Television and Radio Artists and the Screen Actors Guild.
They urged Southern Californians to use other hotels.
About
4,000 members of Local 11 have been negotiating with nine
Los Angeles County hotels - Sheraton Universal, Westin Bonaventure,
Westin Century Plaza, Hyatt Regency Los Angeles, Hyatt West
Hollywood, Millennium Biltmore, Regent Beverly Wilshire, St.
Regis and the Wilshire Grand. No new talks have been scheduled.
In
Washington, talks between Local 25 and 14 hotels there are
set to resume Thursday.
In
San Francisco, the four hotels struck are the Argent Hotel,
Crowne Plaza Union Square, Hilton and InterContinental Mark
Hopkins.
The
10 hotels locking out union workers include the Fairmont,
Four Seasons, Grand Hyatt San Francisco, Holiday Inn Express
& Suites Fisherman's Wharf, Palace, Hyatt Regency and
Westin St. Francis.
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