Hotel Union in Washington Agrees to 3-Year Contract

The hotel workers union in Washington agreed Friday to a three-year contract that offers generous wages and benefits but undercuts the union strategy of lining up contract expirations across the country, including in Los Angeles and San Francisco.

The tentative agreement with 14 luxury hotels, expected to be ratified by Unite Here members Tuesday, capped a week of drama that included a walkout by hotel negotiators and the union’s threat of a strike starting today, on the eve of President Bush’s inauguration week.

Although said to contain generous wage increases and the maintenance of family health benefits, the agreement sets back the union’s plans for contracts in 10 major cities to expire in 2006. That would open up the possibility of a national strike, giving the union more leverage in contract talks.

Contract negotiations covering upscale hotels in Los Angeles and San Francisco also have been stalled over differences on the expiration date.

The 14 upscale hotels organized as the Los Angeles Hotel Employer’s Council have said they will not sign a contract that gives the union the power to call a national strike. They were heartened by Friday’s announcement.

Union spokesman David Koff said that negotiators in L.A. and San Francisco had been flexible on contract length from the start and that the Washington deal didn’t change anything.

“The alignment of contracts will continue as an ongoing process, and we’ll keep moving in that direction,” Koff said.