Justice Begins for Sheraton Anchorage Workers!

The Federal Government has taken action against Sheraton Management
                                

June 3, 2010
About 170 local Anchorage workers received news yesterday that the National Labor
Relations Board (NLRB) has issued a complaint against the Sheraton Anchorage Hotel and Spa.
The NLRB found merit of significant wrong-doing against hotel management (Remington Hotel
Corporation) on 13 unfair labor practice charges filed by the union representing these workers,
UNITE HERE Local 878. Management was provided the opportunity to seek a voluntary settlement
in order to resolve the matter, but have so far rejected the NLRB’s proposal. On August 10, 2010,
the Board will be taking Sheraton Anchorage management to court over what it believes are a
multitude of illegal actions.

The complaint detailing the actions the NLRB believes management took illegally can be broken
down into four broad categories: 1.) Negotiating in bad faith, 2.) Unlawful discipline of workers who
engaged in protected union activity (write-ups, suspensions & terminations), 3.) Unlawful unilateral
changes and 4.) Denigration of the union. Other than the discipline of the four workers, the other
significant NLRB ruling was the unlawful, unilateral implementation of a contract proposal that was
not agreed upon by the workers. Starting in October of 2009, management imposed increased
workloads for housekeepers, changed medical benefits and made changes to other working
conditions, benefits, and conditions of employment. The Board believes the remedy of these
egregious actions should be to a.) Immediately return four fired workers to work, b.) Expunge any
written discipline from their records, c.) Return working condition, benefits and other terms and
conditions to pre-August 16, 2009, d.) Award back pay for fired workers and possibly other
monetary remedies and 5.) All monetary remedies ordered should be paid with quarterly
compounded interest.

The Union is pleased to hear of the Board’s recent action and looks forward to a resolution of the
charges, because it strongly believes management knowingly broke federal law in an effort to scare
the rest of the workers into accepting an inferior contract. Currently, management is threatening
workers’ livelihoods if they support the Union. Management is telling people that there is nothing
anyone can do to save their jobs because management alone has absolute power. Taking the
Sheraton Anchorage to court will help give some relief to those still inside the hotel. It demonstrates
to the workforce that the Sheraton is not above the law; that workers have the right to participate in
union activity and that if they do so, the Federal Government will back them up.

The Sheraton workers and our community will not be swayed. Job security, affordable family
healthcare, and safe workloads are on the line. These issues are too important not to fight to keep
them. We are in a critical struggle to keep good standards for hotel workers in Anchorage and Alaska
at large. The fight at the Sheraton is a key part of making sure that happens. Because of this, the
recent news from the Federal Government is just the beginning of the justice to come in what will
most likely be a long battle.  Sheraton workers and members from the local Anchorage community and
labor unions, will  continue the call to boycott the hotel until the workers receive a Fair Contract!