Cohousing-L Mailing List: 2011 National Cohousing Conference hotel's labor issues

[Craig Ragland (craigragland]

An unfortunate situation has come up with this year's Conference hotel.


Coho/US contracted in mid-2010 with the Sheraton Crystal City hotel to host
the 2011 National Cohousing Conference. A representative of the “Unite Here”
union recently contacted us to let us know of a labor dispute with the
owners of this hotel. They have called for a boycott and have asked us to
move our conference elsewhere.

Although Coho/US does not have a formal position on this issue, we did
explore options for moving the conference elsewhere. We learned that, at
this late date, the costs of moving would be staggering. Lodging rates would
more than double for attendees, and Coho/US would be forced to pay a $15,000
penalty for breaking the contract and bear additional assorted costs. In
addition, it would call for even more work & energy from our
already-strapped conference team. In light of this information, we had no
viable option but to remain at the current venue.

We contacted the Unite Here representative to explore mutually beneficial
solutions, hoping to find a way to support the broader cause without
sacrificing the conference or association. 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. We also invited the organization to meet with our board
and future conference teams to inform us on these issues, and assist us in
making labor-friendly venue choices. The representative was not interested
in any action other than an unequivocal boycott of the hotel – they saw no
room for creative compromise.

This experience has raised our awareness about the potential for hotel labor
issues – and future conferences will endeavor to avoid venues with known
ongoing labor issues. In fact, the 2012 Conference team has already
eliminated a boycotted hotel in San Francisco from further consideration.

We are aware that some conference presenters and attendees may have concerns
about this issue and will wish to learn more. We will do our best to answer
whatever additional questions you may have – please contact Lisa and/or
Craig (below). We sincerely hope that the labor dispute will come to a
satisfactory conclusion by the time of the conference. We hope that you will
understand our difficult decision and continue your support for this year's
conference.



Lisa Poley, 2011 Conference Chair and Board Member (lisa [at] cohous.org)


Craig Ragland, Executive Director (craig [at] cohous.org)