Dozens of hotel workers are holding an all-day picket line today outside the Hyatt Regency Embarcadero to highlight an ongoing labor dispute with hotel management.
The picketing began at 7 a.m. outside the hotel at 5 Embarcadero Center by members of Unite Here Local 2, which represents room cleaners and other hotel workers, union spokeswoman Julia Wong said.
Wong said a couple dozen workers were picketing this morning but said that number is expected to grow this afternoon when many hotel employees get off of work.
The Hyatt workers’ labor contract expired in 2009, and negotiations for a new contract have been under way for more than two and a half years.
The union has held a number of strikes, calls for boycotts and picket lines during the contract dispute, including today’s, which comes a day before International Workers’ Day, Wong said.
Hyatt spokesman Pete Hillan said hotel management provided its last offer to the union last year, which he said was similar to ones agreed to by workers at other hotel chains in San Francisco.
Hillan said the union is holding out to try to get other Hyatt hotels around the country unionized.
“Unite Here leadership is really intent on doing harm to its own associates to further the union’s growth agenda,” he said. “The type of pickets and boycotts and leadership-led actions really at this point don’t do anybody much good, particularly the members they say they represent.”
Dan McMenamin, Bay City News
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