2011 Conference
From: Micah Ehler (mehlerunitehere.org)
Date: Thu, 24 Mar 2011 12:01:44 -0700 (PDT)
Dear Cohousing Community Member,

It has come to our attention that the Cohousing Association of the United States has scheduled its 2011 National Cohousing Conference (June 15-19) at the Sheraton Crystal City Hotel in Arlington, VA. You may be concerned to hear that workers at this hotel (which is owned and operated by the HEI Hotels & Resorts) are engaged in a serious labor dispute; these workers called for a boycott of their hotel in March 2010 after enduring more than a year of anti-union intimidation. Picket lines and other union activities occur regularly in conjunction with the consumer boycott.

As a union of hospitality workers throughout the U.S. and Canada, we take great pride in our commitment to building a community of union members and their families. Across our two countries, UNITE HERE members have fought for and won innovative improvements that reflect this commitment by pooling our resources to provide health and welfare funds which include benefits for domestic partners and their dependants, child & elder care programs, and pensions that ensure a dignified retirement after a career of service. Additionally, our members have fought for and won improvements in workplace health and safety standards, particularly for room attendants who suffer from an alarmingly high injury rate. In a survey of more than 600 hotel housekeepers in the U.S. and Canada, 91% said that they have suffered work-related pain. 77% said their workplace pain interfered with routine activities.

UNITE HERE members have also been tackling the issue of affordable, quality housing. Many hotel workers either struggle to or are simply unable to afford housing close to the luxury hotels where they work. In particular, our local union in Toronto, Canada has made great strides on this issue. Working in partnership with city council, the Co-operative Housing Federation of Toronto, and the Toronto Community Housing Corporation, the 60 Richmond Co-op was completed in March 2010. This LEED Gold Certified, 85-unit building includes a community garden and shared courtyard space for hotel workers and their families.

However, Sheraton Crystal City Hotel employees do not currently enjoy these or any benefits of having a union. In fact, HEI?s refusal to provide a fair process for employees to decide whether to form a union lies at the heart of the labor dispute and boycott at the hotel. Several other hotels in the Arlington, VA/Washington D.C. area (including the Double Tree Crystal City, Capitol Hilton, Embassy Suites Crystal City, and the Sheraton Premiere at Tyson's Corner) have historically agreed to such a process ? they have remained neutral and recognized unions once presented with authorization cards signed by a majority of employees. The Sheraton Crystal City has chosen instead to do just the opposite ? workers have been subjected to an aggressive anti-union campaign which ultimately led them to the decision to begin a boycott (in March 2010).

Too often, otherwise well-planned events end in disappointment because organizations are poorly informed about the nature of a labor dispute or expect a speedy resolution. But by changing the location of the June 2011 conference to another venue, the Cohousing Association of the United States can take a stand to strengthen our communities. Moreover, your important work deserves better than to be placed in the midst of a labor dispute. As one of the Sheraton Crystal City Hotel?s valued customers, you have an influential voice.

Given our shared vision and the Cohousing Association?s commitment to ?improve the world, one neighborhood at a time?, we hope that you will choose to relocate your June 2011 conference to a venue which is free of labor disputes. For a complete list of labor disputes and union hotels in the Arlington/Washington D.C. area and throughout North America, please visit www.unionhotelguide.org. Also, please contact me with any questions, concerns, or to learn more about how to best protect your event.



In Solidarity,
Micah Ehler
Unite HERE!
Boycott Coordinator
614-746-1145
mehler [at] unitehere.org

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