Re: 2011 Conference
From: Micah Ehler (mehlerunitehere.org)
Date: Fri, 25 Mar 2011 16:20:42 -0700 (PDT)
This hotel is a non union hotel so we are not allowed access to the property, it wouldn't be good for a worker to speak at the event either due to the company's history of fear and intimidation, including the firing of union supporters.

The workers are asking 1 thing, take the lead and honor their boycott. The issue of choosing hotels in the future that are not in a labor dispute seems to have been handled. It is always good to check our website, www.hotelworkersrising.org before you travel to any city. We have a union hotel guide that will list the boycotted / striking hotels for the city you plan on visiting.

It is true that the workers, Unite HERE and I, Micah Ehler w/ Unite HERE, will not compromise on the boycott. While I understand this is a difficult situation Co-housing has found themselves in, I am also sure that many co-housing members have been in more difficult scenarios in the past where they have found the strength to take a stand for what was just. I am confident that the co-housing community will find a way to have a successful event at a location not in the midst of a heated labor dispute.

The question I have for all co-housing members who plan on crossing the workers picket line. "What will it feel like to be on the opposite side of the picket line, a line that many of you have marched and held together for so long?"

- Micah Ehler -



On Fri, 25 Mar 2011 13:29:13 -0700
 Craig Ragland <craigragland [at] gmail.com> wrote:

Hi Bruce,

Below...

On Fri, Mar 25, 2011 at 10:38 AM, Bruce Koloseike
<koloseik [at] bellsouth.net> wrote:
Craig.

Thanks for your visit to Westwood this last winter/spring.   It certainly prompted my wife and me to attend the Co-ho conference this June.

Westwood (Asheville, NC) is a lovely community - interesting architecture, beautiful land, and great people. Its great to hear that
we'll see you at the conference.

Concerning the boycott issue, would it be advisable to have a representative from the union host a session at the conference to give the opportunity for all of us to hear more about their stance and how we can best avoid the
issue in the future?

In the letter that Lisa and I wrote, we said, "We offered to create opportunities to educate conference attendees about the labor dispute – and raise awareness in general about labor issues linked to the
hotel and service industries."

Your suggestion is a good one and I'll take it to the conference team. Regardless of whether the union chooses to participate in a conference session, the Coho/US volunteer/staff team has already learned a lot more about labor issues. One of the cohousing residents who received our letter has a history with labor organizing. She has offered to help the 2012 Conference team better understand the issues as we book the hotel for the San Francisco Bay area conference (June 14-18,
2012).

One challenge is that its so difficult to know what the labor situation may be like over a year in advance of the actual event when
we have to enter into the contract with the hotel.

Likely the hotel itself might not be willing to do a
similar thing, but they might also be asked  --- or even have some sort of
joint session.

Bruce K


I'm still hoping for the hotel and the union to get this settled
before the conference.

In community, Craig


On Mar 25, 2011, at 1:28 PM, Craig Ragland wrote:


Lisa Poley, the 2011 Conference Chair, and I emailed a note on this unfortunate situation to Coho-L on Wednesday. Here's a link to the
archival version of that note:

http://lists.cohousing.org/archives/cohousing-l/msg32731.html

We also posted a PDF about it on the Conference website:

http://conference.cohousing.org/docs/2011/2011_hotel_labor_issue.pdf

As some of you know, this year's conference is the first time that we're using a hotel and we have a lot to learn about venue selection. The 2012 Conference Chair (Katie McCamant) and I have made labor issues a criteria in selecting the venue for that conference - and we have already rejected one hotel because they are on the boycott list
published by this union.

The association thanks you for your support.

Craig Ragland
Coho/US Exec Dir

Note: In July, 2011 my replacement will be taking over as the association's next Exec. Dir. To learn more about this job
opportunity, click here:

http://www.cohousing.org/node/3926


On Thu, Mar 24, 2011 at 11:59 AM, Micah Ehler <mehler [at] unitehere.org>
wrote:

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

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