Students Condemn "Labor Rights Violations" At Sheraton

(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)

Chanting “HEI, you’re no good; treat your workers like you should,” dozens of university students from across the country walked the picket line in solidarity with hotel workers outside the Sheraton Crystal City on Saturday night, expressing outrage over labor rights violations allegedly committed by the hotel and its corporate investor, HEI.  “We’re out here tonight to fight for justice for these workers and for their right to decide if they want to join a union without interference from management,” Brown University senior Lenora Knowles told Union City. “Students from all across America are urging our universities to stop investing in HEI because of the numbers of reported workers’ right violations committed by HEI and its hotels.” The workers – who have been trying to unionize since Febuary 2009 – say they are facing cuts in staffing, increased work loads, low wages, intimidation and interference from hotel management over wanting to vote on union representation.  “This last year has been very difficult,” said Herman Romero, a cook who says he was fired for speaking out about wanting to join a union (NoVa Hotel Workers Demand Dignity, Respect 3/30/2009 Union City), but then reinstated after the hotel’s actions were ruled unlawful. “I have still not been paid the money they owe me and it is hard to get by each week. I’m very grateful though to see so many people stand with us; they give us strength.” UNITE HERE organizers told Union City that the workers’ campaign “got an important boost recently” when members of the Brown Student Labor Alliance -- which is affiliated with United Students Against Sweatshops -- worked with their university’s Advisory Committee on Corporate Responsibility in Investment Policy to “make an official recommendation that Brown should not invest any more money in HEI until it resolves allegations of labor abuses.” They say that students plan to encourage other universities to also reconsider their investment in HEI.  Unfair Labor Practice charges are currently pending with the National Labor Relations Board. – report/photo by Adam Wright