Madison "Rich And Rude," Say Hotel Workers

(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)

Face-numbing winds didn’t deter more than 100 hotel workers from walking the picket line outside the Madison last night, shouting “Madison management is rich and rude – we don’t like your attitude,” as they thumped drums and rattled tambourines for several hours. “We are all facing a very bad situation right now,” said Hamid (at right, beating drum), an assistant sever at Palette - the Madison’s shuttered restaurant – who had worked there for almost eight years but was recently fired. “In one second – and without warning – many of us were fired and then told that we could reapply for the same job, only to hear nothing back. All we want is a good job, but we’re being given nothing but disrespect.” The workers have called for a boycott of the hotel because of its new owners’ refusal to accept the terms of the existing contract with UNITE HERE 25, which represents 150 workers at the Madison (NEA Pulls Madison Bookings 2/4/2011 Union City). “The new owners are finding out very quickly that they’re making a bad investment unless they respect their workers,” said Local 25’s Bradley Van Wauss, who told Union City that many unions – including the NFL Players Association – have withdrawn hundreds of thousands of dollars in business from the hotel. “We’re going to continue until the workers are treated fairly.” Picketing continues daily -- including weekends -- from 7A to 7P, with critical mass time from 7-8:30A and 4:30-6P. – report/photo by Adam Wright