Hotel Workers Protest Owner’s Labor Practices

Workers from the Summit Hotel in Beverly Hills took their employment grievances to one of the nation’s most famous streets Wednesday, setting up a picket on Rodeo Drive to protest what they say are unfair labor practices.

Joined by the Jewish Labor Committee and fellow workers from Local 11 of the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees Union, the workers complained that when a new owner took over more than two years ago, conditions became unbearable for workers--especially union activists.

But owner Efrem Harkham said the majority of the pickets were not his employees and their claims were baseless.

“It’s nonsense,” he said. “We care about our employees.”

The Jewish Labor Committee members, which includes rabbis and lay people, issued a written report charging that during a year and a half of contract negotiations, Harkham has “conducted an aggressive campaign against workers and their union.”

Since Harkham took over, 37 of the hotel’s 90 employees have been fired. Most of them were active unionists, the report said.