Union Steps Up Battle at Loews

By Teresa Rochester

The young couple who checked into a room facing busy Ocean Avenue late Thursday afternoon must have seemed to Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel employees typical yuppie tourists.

That's until the pair unfurled a massive banner that said "Loews Hotel Stop Your Dirty Work," as thunderous cheers erupted from a crowd of 500 union supporters on the sidewalk below.

The smoothly orchestrated stunt and rally, which drew hotel and restaurant workers, union organizers and community members, was the latest protest in a two month old campaign to organize a union at the luxury beachfront hotel.

It was also a dress rehearsal for the upcoming Democratic National Convention next month, with police in riot helmets standing guard.

"I would say for union organizing in Santa Monica it's a banner day," Councilman Kevin McKeown said, as the banner was unfurled from an upper floor window.

Demonstrators toting giant puppets and blue and white pro-union placards strung pieces of old clothes to clotheslines in front of the hotel to symbolize what they called the hotel's dirty anti-union tactics.

"We are only asking for a decent wage," Loews employee Brian Samuels told the crowd. "This hotel is trying to break our spirit. You monsters inside stop it!"

Protesting Loews workers and members of the Hotel Employee and Restaurant Employee Union Local 814 were joined by workers from various hotels and organizers from the local union in downtown Los Angeles. Organizers said that in recent years unions in the two cities have begun to work together on labor issues.

"Over the last several years the Santa Monica and Los Angeles locals have become close working together," said organizer David Koff, a spokesman for the union. " The Santa Monica City line and the Los Angeles City line doesn't change anything."

Among those participating in the march were employees from the Fairmont Miramar Hotel, the city's only unionized hotel. Early this year Miramar workers won a bitter five-year fight to retain their union after the luxury hotel changed ownership.

"I came to support the employees," said Miramar worker Avelino Alvarez. "I think it's very important. As soon as they get a union over here they can get the same benefits that we at the Miramar get."

Employees of the 340-room luxury hotel who support the union are pushing for a "card check" election that requires hotel management to remain silent on the matter. Hotel officials have said they are willing to immediately hold an election supervised by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).

Union organizers Thursday stood firm in their belief that such an election is a faulty process because it allows hotel management to take a position. The result of the election also can be appealed.

The demonstration comes one day after a living wage ballot initiative bankrolled by the large hotels qualified for the November ballot.

Opponents say the measure - which would erase any action the council might take on the issue - would cover none of the hotel workers. The measure covers businesses with city contracts and subsidies.