Thousands of Marriott hotel workers are on strike in eight U.S. cities in a campaign with the slogan “one job should be enough.” The workers’ union points out that Marriott’s profits have risen by 279 percent since the great recession, while worker pay has gone up only seven percent. “As the largest hotel employer in the world, Marriott can set the standard in the hotel industry,” they write, and that standard should be that one job is enough.
Workers are on strike in Boston, Detroit, Oakland, San Diego, San Jose, San Francisco, Maui, and Oahu, pressing for contracts that pay them a living wage as well as improving workplace safety through panic buttons for housekeeping staff and a reduction in some of the most grueling physical labor—hotel housekeepers have a very high rate of injury on the job. Workers are also worried about automation and other labor reduction efforts by the company.
Yleine, a room attendant in Vancouver, says in a video that “I’m doing two different jobs because I’m not getting enough hours in my hotel, and don’t have enough time to look after my son. I feel like, still, I can’t make it.”
In Hawaii, other unions got behind the strike, with flight attendants, sheet metal workers, and others moving their business away from Marriott hotels.
● Thousands of Amazon delivery drivers won't be eligible for the $15 wage.
● Philadelphia’s Spread Bagelry owes workers more than $186,000 in back pay and damages after failing to pay overtime.
● Unions help employees take more paid maternity leave:
The research team found that union-represented workers are at least 17 percent more likely to use paid maternity leave than comparable nonunion workers, and that unions facilitate this leave-taking through the availability, awareness, and affordability channels.
● Why we should take weight discrimination seriously as a workers' rights issue. Great stuff from Bryce Covert:
Both men and women who are obese are paid less than “normal” weight peers. The impact, however, is felt more acutely among women. In 2008, data showed overweight women made 14.6 percent less, a loss of nearly $6,000. A 2010 study found that women suffer a decrease in pay for weight gain, especially if they start out very thin; that can add up to losing as much as $22,000 in salary.
● The trucking industry is a sweatshop on wheels. Here's how Kavanaugh could make it worse.
● Chicago's Lyric Opera orchestra went on strike this week.
● Teamsters members at UPS voted down a contract—but the union approved it anyway:
The Teamsters said out of 209,043 members eligible to vote, only 92,604, or 44.3 percent, cast ballots.
Of those that cast ballots, 54.2 percent voted against the deal.
In a message to members after the ballots were counted, the Teamsters said: “In such circumstances where less than 50 percent of the membership votes on a final contract offer, the International Constitution provides that ‘a two-thirds (2/3) vote of those voting shall be required to reject such final offer…’ Failure to reject the offer by at least two-thirds vote of those voting “shall require the negotiating committee to accept such final offer or such additional provisions as can be negotiated by it.”
● Massachusetts gas workers defend the next generation, as lockout enters fourth month:
Under the company’s proposal, new hires would no longer get a defined-benefit pension, and would have their sick and vacation time reduced. For retirees, co-pays and deductibles would go up.
“The package for the current people in the local was reasonable,” said Local 12003 President Joe Kirylo. But “the people in this local chose to defend the next generation. This is the straw that broke the camel’s back.”
● Discrimination defense lawyer confirmed for Trump civil rights post.
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