Union, S.F. Hotels Resume Talks
Talks resumed Friday between 14 San Francisco hotels and the Unite Here union, although no progress toward a new contract was reported by late afternoon.
The bargaining session, the first since Sept. 15, sought to resolve differences that led to a two-week strike at four of the hotels. That walkout is set to expire Wednesday. In retaliation, the 10 other hotels locked out union employees and brought in replacement workers.
The 14 hotels, called the San Francisco Multi-Employer Group, represent about one-fourth of the city’s guestrooms and employ 4,350 members of Unite Here Local 2.
The primary sticking point in the San Francisco negotiations, as well as in similar talks in Los Angeles and Washington, involves the union’s demand for a two-year contract.
In Los Angeles on Friday, Local 11 of the union won the support of entertainment industry unions, including the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists and the Screen Actors Guild. They urged Southern Californians to use other hotels.
About 4,000 members of Local 11 have been negotiating with nine Los Angeles County hotels -- Sheraton Universal, Westin Bonaventure, Westin Century Plaza, Hyatt Regency Los Angeles, Hyatt West Hollywood, Millennium Biltmore, Regent Beverly Wilshire, St. Regis and the Wilshire Grand. No new talks have been scheduled.
In Washington, talks between Local 25 and 14 hotels there are set to resume Thursday.
In San Francisco, the four hotels struck are the Argent Hotel, Crowne Plaza Union Square, Hilton and InterContinental Mark Hopkins.
The 10 hotels locking out union workers include the Fairmont, Four Seasons, Grand Hyatt San Francisco, Holiday Inn Express & Suites Fisherman’s Wharf, Palace, Hyatt Regency and Westin St. Francis.
