UNITE HERE Local 2 Statement on the A’s Relocation
Today’s news about the A’s temporary relocation to Sacramento is only the latest chapter in the longer story about billionaire John Fisher and Major League Baseball abandoning Oakland.
UNITE HERE Local 2 represents hundreds of food and beverage workers at the Oakland Coliseum, many of whom have worked at the stadium for over 20 or even 30 years. The majority are African American. These workers have made thousands of game days enjoyable for countless fans, their union wages and benefits have supported the workers’ families and communities, and their work has helped make John Fisher even richer.
It is shameful that Fisher and Major League Baseball are abandoning these workers, this community, and the City of Oakland, one of America’s most diverse baseball cities. Every time a billionaire team owner leaves or threatens to leave a host city in order to line their pockets with hundreds of millions of public dollars, workers and communities are hurt.
Local 2 will support these workers, including by helping them find new jobs after this baseball season, and continue to stand up to the billionaires and corporations who exploit working people and our communities.
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UNITE HERE Local 2 is the hospitality workers’ union in the San Francisco Bay Area, with 15,000+ members working in hotels, restaurants, food services, stadiums, SFO, and OAK.
Thursday, April 4: Join the action at Flagship at Meta!
Join the action at Flagship at Meta on Thursday, April 4 from 2:30-4pm at 250 Howard St. (on Howard and Beale St.)
Find Your Hotel Rep (March 2023)
1 Hotel: Jose Lee (415) 864-8770 Ext. 705
AC Marriott Santa Rosa: Satchel Forrester (415) 864-8770 Ext. 755
Aloft Newark: Kelsey Bowman (415) 864-8770 Ext. 756
Aloft SFO: Maria Rodriguez (415) 864-8770 Ext. 770
Alton: Jose Lee (415) 864-8770 Ext. 705
Americania: Xitlali Sanchez (415) 864-8770 Ext. 761
Beacon Grand: Blanca Flores (415) 864-8770 Ext. 713
BEI Hotel: Ariel Zbeda (415) 864-8770 Ext. 802
Carriage Inn: Xitlali Sanchez (415) 864-8770 Ext. 761
Cartwright: Xitlali Sanchez (415) 864-8770 Ext. 761
Caza: Jose Lee (415) 864-8770 Ext. 705
Chancellor: Xitlali Sanchez (415) 864-8770 Ext. 761
Clancy: Reuben Perez (415) 864-8770 Ext. 709
Claremont: Kelsey Bowman (415) 864-8770 Ext. 756
Clift: Xitlali Sanchez (415) 864-8770 Ext. 761
Comfort Inn: Jose Lee (415) 864-8770 Ext. 705
Concord Plaza: Kelsey Bowman (415) 864-8770 Ext. 756
Courtyard Marriott Fisherman’s Wharf: Jose Lee (415) 864-8770 Ext. 705
Courtyard Marriott Oakland: Kelsey Bowman (415) 864-8770 Ext. 756
Crowne Plaza Burlingame (no housekeeping): Maria Rodriguez (415) 864-8770 Ext. 770
DoubleTree by Hilton Berkeley Marina: Satchel Forrester (415) 864-8770 Ext. 755
Enso: Reuben Perez (415) 864-8770 Ext. 709
Fairmont: Yolanda Chen (415) 864-8770 Ext. 716
Fairmont Heritage Fisherman’s Wharf: Jose Lee (415) 864-8770 Ext. 705
Four Seasons: Reuben Perez (415) 864-8770 Ext. 709
Four Seasons Embarcadero: Ariel Zbeda (415) 864-8770 Ext. 802
Good Hotel: Xitlali Sanchez (415) 864-8770 Ext. 761
Grand Bay: Maria Rodriguez (415) 864-8770 Ext. 770
Grand Hyatt Union Square: Xitlali Sanchez (415) 864-8770 Ext. 761
Grand Hyatt SFO: Maria Rodriguez (415) 864-8770 Ext. 770
Grosvenor Hotel: Maria Rodriguez (415) 864-8770 Ext. 770
Hampton Inn: Ariel Zbeda (415) 864-8770 Ext. 802
Handlery: Jose Lee (415) 864-8770 Ext. 705
Hilton Financial District: Blanca Flores (415) 864-8770 Ext. 713
Hilton Garden Inn: Kelsey Bowman (415) 864-8770 Ext. 756
Hilton OAK Airport: Kelsey Bowman (415) 864-8770 Ext. 756
Hilton Union Square: Nicole Huang (415) 864-8770 Ext. 730
Holiday Inn Express Fisherman’s Wharf: Jose Lee (415) 864-8770 Ext. 705
Holiday Inn Express SFO: Maria Rodriguez (415) 864-8770 Ext. 770
Holiday Inn Golden Gateway: Jose Lee (415) 864-8770 Ext. 705
Holiday Inn Walnut Creek: Kelsey Bowman (415) 864-8770 Ext. 756
Homewood Suites: Satchel Forrester (415) 864-8770 Ext. 755
Hotel G: Ariel Zbeda (415) 864-8770 Ext. 802
Huntington: Yolanda Chen (415) 864-8770 Ext. 716
Hyatt House Emeryville: Kelsey Bowman (415) 864-8770 Ext. 756
Hyatt Place San Francisco / Downtown: Blanca Flores (415) 864-8770 Ext. 713
Hyatt Regency Embarcadero: Blanca Flores (415) 864-8770 Ext. 713
Hyatt Regency SOMA: Reuben Perez (415) 864-8770 Ext. 709
Hyatt Regency Sonoma Wine Country: Satchel Forrester (415) 864-8770 Ext. 755
Intercontinental: Rafael Leiva (415) 864-8770 Ext. 725
Kabuki: Reuben Perez (415) 864-8770 Ext. 709
Kensington Park: Xitlali Sanchez (415) 864-8770 Ext. 761
Kissel: Satchel Forrester (415) 864-8770 Ext. 755
Laurel Inn: Nicole Huang (415) 864-8770 Ext. 730
Lighthouse Hotel: Maria Rodriguez (415) 864-8770 Ext. 770
Mark Hopkins: Yolanda Chen (415) 864-8770 Ext. 716
Marriott Fisherman’s Wharf: Jose Lee (415) 864-8770 Ext. 705
Marriott Marquis: Paola Chacon (415) 864-8770 Ext. 736
Marriott Oakland City Center: Satchel Forrester (415) 864-8770 Ext. 755
Marriott Waterfront Burlingame: Maria Rodriguez (415) 864-8770 Ext. 770
Marriott Union Square: Yolanda Chen (415) 864-8770 Ext. 716
Marriott Vacation Club Pulse: Jose Lee (415) 864-8770 Ext. 705
Moxy Oakland Downtown: Satchel Forrester (415) 864-8770 Ext. 755
Omni: Ariel Zbeda (415) 864-8770 Ext. 802
Palace: Ariel Zbeda (415) 864-8770 Ext. 802
Parc 55: Ariel Zbeda (415) 864-8770 Ext. 802
Pickwick: Xitlali Sanchez (415) 864-8770 Ext. 761
Residence Inn Berkeley: Satchel Forrester (415) 864-8770 Ext. 755
Riu Plaza: Jose Lee (415) 864-8770 Ext. 705
Royal Pacific Motor Inn: Jose Lee (415) 864-8770 Ext. 705
Seal Rock Inn: Jose Lee (415) 864-8770 Ext. 705
Sheraton Petaluma: Kelsey Bowman (415) 864-8770 Ext. 756
Spero: Ariel Zbeda (415) 864-8770 Ext. 802
St. Francis: Rafael Leiva (415) 864-8770 Ext. 725
St. Regis: Blanca Flores (415) 864-8770 Ext. 713
Stanford Court: Jose Lee (415) 864-8770 Ext. 705
Travelodge by the Bay: Jose Lee (415) 864-8770 Ext. 705
Union Square Hotel: Xitlali Sanchez (415) 864-8770 Ext. 761
W Hotel: Xitlali Sanchez (415) 864-8770 Ext. 761
Westin SFO (no housekeeping): Maria Rodriguez (415) 864-8770 Ext. 770
Wharf Inn: Jose Lee (415) 864-8770 Ext. 705
Whitcomb: Blanca Flores (415) 864-8770 Ext. 713
Zephyr: Jose Lee (415) 864-8770 Ext. 705
SF City Attorney secures $2.1 million deal requiring gig economy company to reclassify workers as employees
San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu announced today that he has reached a groundbreaking agreement with Qwick that requires the company to convert all of its misclassified California workers to employees, ensuring they are eligible for the full range of employee benefits and protections. In 2023, Chiu sued Qwick, a gig economy company that provides on-demand staffing to the hospitality industry, for depriving workers of critical employment protections by misclassifying them as independent contractors instead of employees.
“This settlement is a huge victory for Qwick workers who are entitled to the same protections, wages, and benefits as their peers employed at hotels and restaurants. We appreciate the work of the City Attorney’s Office to enforce the law in San Francisco. Employers should be on notice that they can’t get away with worker misclassification here in our city.” – Anand Singh, President of UNITE HERE Local 2
Read more from the SF City Attorney’s office here and in the SF Chronicle here.
Local 2 Membership Meeting Schedule
2024 Local 2 Membership Meeting Schedule:
- Wednesday, March 20, 2024 @ 4:30pm (209 Golden Gate Ave., San Francisco, CA 94102)
- Wednesday, May 22, 2024 @ 4:30pm (TBA)
- Wednesday, August 7, 2024 @ 4:30pm (209 Golden Gate Ave., San Francisco, CA 94102)
- Wednesday, December 4, 2024 @ 4:30pm (209 Golden Gate Ave., San Francisco, CA 94102)
Workers at BEI Hotel say they got food poisoning after hotel outsourced employee meals
Workers at the Chinese state-owned BEI Hotel San Francisco say they suffered diarrhea, stomach pain, and other symptoms of food poisoning after the hotel unilaterally laid off its cooks and outsourced cafeteria meals. The BEI is a 400-room hotel owned by the Beijing Tourism Group, a Chinese state-owned enterprise managed by a subsidiary of the government of Beijing.
- Workers have found undercooked meat in the meals served to workers in the employee cafeteria:
- Employee meals at the BEI Hotel sometimes sat out for hours without proper temperature control:
- Workers have found the handles of serving utensils submerged or in contact with food:
Workers launched a five-day Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) strike to protest the hotel’s unilateral outsourcing of food and beverage operations from November 13, 2023 – November 17, 2023. Picket lines ran daily from 6am to 10pm.
BEI Hotel workers say they attempted to address the outsourcing of cafeteria food through meetings, petitions, and mediation before deciding on a strike. UNITE HERE Local 2 has filed unfair labor practices charges with the National Labor Relations Board protesting the BEI Hotel’s unilateral elimination of union jobs.
BEI Hotel on Strike!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Monday, November 13, 2023
Contact: Ted Waechter [email protected]
Workers at Chinese State-Owned Hotel in San Francisco Strike After Outsourced Employee Meals Make Workers Sick
BEI Hotel Workers Launch Unfair Labor Practice Strike as APEC Arrives in San Francisco; Union Says Strike Illustrates Dangers of Globalization
San Francisco, Calif. — Seventy workers with the UNITE HERE Local 2 union are on strike at the BEI Hotel San Francisco, a Chinese state-owned hotel where workers say they suffered food poisoning after the hotel unilaterally laid off its cooks and outsourced cafeteria meals. The BEI is a 400-room hotel owned by the Beijing Tourism Group, a Chinese state-owned enterprise managed by a subsidiary of the government of Beijing. Pictures of food served in the BEI Hotel employee cafeteria are available here.
The Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) strike concerns the hotel’s unilateral outsourcing of food and beverage operations. The union says that at least four workers have suffered diarrhea, stomach pain, or other symptoms of food poisoning since the hotel unilaterally laid off its cooks and outsourced cafeteria meals in May of 2023. The limited-duration strike will last five days, and picket lines will run from 6am to 10pm daily outside the hotel on 8th St. and Market St.
“I’m on strike because I recently worked two back-to-back shifts and during the entire 16 hours, I did not eat the cafeteria food because I was worried it would make me sick,” said Nida Remigio, a telephone operator at the BEI Hotel San Francisco for 16 years. “Employee meals at the BEI Hotel sometimes sit out for hours without time or temperature control. The food is often cold or covered in oil, and I have even found undercooked meat.”
The strike occurs during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, which promotes business interests in the Pacific Rim. The union says that the BEI Hotel’s mistreatment of its workers illustrates the dangers of globalization.
“The Chinese state-owned enterprise that controls the BEI Hotel isn’t giving San Francisco workers a better life. Instead, the hotel unilaterally terminated its in-house cooks and served outsourced cafeteria food that made workers sick,” said Anand Singh, President of UNITE HERE Local 2. “We need an economy that benefits the world’s housekeepers, cooks, and dishwashers – not just the CEOs.”
BEI Hotel workers – including housekeepers, servers, bartenders, cooks, and dishwashers – say they have attempted to address the outsourcing of cafeteria food through meetings, petitions, and mediation before deciding on a strike. UNITE HERE Local 2 has filed unfair labor practices charges with the National Labor Relations Board protesting the BEI Hotel’s unilateral elimination of union jobs.
The ULP strike over the outsourcing of food and beverage operations comes as the hotel and the union are engaged in protracted negotiations over other issues. Workers at the BEI Hotel have not received a raise in six years. Every other major union hotel in San Francisco agreed to two consecutive contract agreements in 2018 and 2022, and the BEI is the only one that has refused to sign. Hotel management and the union have met regularly for negotiations, but the hotel demanded concessions including job cuts and outsourcing.
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UNITE HERE Local 2 is the hospitality workers’ union in the San Francisco Bay Area, representing over 15,000 workers in hotels, restaurants, food services, Oakland International Airport, San Francisco International Airport, and more.
BEI Hotel Workers Vote by 96.4% to Authorize Strike After Outsourced Cafeteria Food Makes Workers Sick
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, November 7, 2023
Contact: Ted Waechter [email protected]
San Francisco Hotel Workers Vote Overwhelmingly to Strike After Outsourced Cafeteria Food Makes Workers Sick
96.4% Vote Means BEI Hotel Workers Could Launch Unfair Labor Practice Strike
San Francisco, Calif. — Workers at the BEI Hotel San Francisco have voted by 96.4% to authorize a strike after years of negotiations with the UNITE HERE Local 2 union and what the union claims is unilateral outsourcing of food and beverage operations. The union says that workers have suffered diarrhea, stomach pain, or other symptoms of food poisoning since the hotel unilaterally laid off its cooks and outsourced cafeteria meals in May of 2023. A strike could be called at any time.
Photo and B-roll of the vote is available for secure download here.
The BEI Hotel is owned by the Beijing Tourism Group, a Chinese state-owned enterprise managed by a subsidiary of the government of Beijing. It is a 400-room hotel located on 8th St. and Market St. in San Francisco and employs seventy workers, including housekeepers, banquet servers and bartenders, cooks, dishwashers, and more.
“I voted yes to strike because the hotel is giving us food that is not safe to eat,” said Amy Liu, a housekeeper at the BEI Hotel San Francisco for 16 years. “The BEI Hotel was wrong to lay off union cooks and serve us unsafe meals in the cafeteria. I work so hard cleaning rooms every day, and I deserve to be treated with respect.”
“I voted yes to strike because I want to go back to work and cook for my coworkers so they can eat healthy food,” said Isaias Galvez, a cook at the BEI Hotel San Francisco for thirty years. “After thirty years the hotel laid me off without negotiating with the union. They decided to bring outsourced food to the cafeteria for my coworkers. Now my coworkers tell me the food is cold, greasy, unsafe to eat, and that people have gotten sick from it. That is not right.”
“San Francisco’s tourism industry can’t recover without housekeepers, dishwashers, cooks, and servers who do difficult and painful jobs, but the BEI Hotel can’t even be bothered to give them cafeteria food that’s safe to eat,” said Anand Singh, President of UNITE HERE Local 2. “The BEI Hotel’s unfair elimination of in-house cooks hurts all BEI Hotel workers — those who were laid off and those who have gotten sick from outsourced cafeteria food.”
The workers say they have attempted to address the outsourcing of cafeteria food through meetings, negotiations, petitions, and mediation before deciding to take a strike vote. UNITE HERE Local 2 has filed unfair labor practices (ULP) charges with the National Labor Relations Board protesting the BEI Hotel’s unilateral elimination of union jobs.
The possible ULP strike over the outsourcing of food and beverage operations comes as the hotel and the union are engaged in protracted negotiations over other issues. Workers at the BEI Hotel have not received a raise in six years. Every other only major union hotel in San Francisco agreed to two consecutive contract agreements in 2018 and 2022; the BEI is the only one that has refused. Hotel management and the union have met regularly for negotiations, but the hotel has demanded concessions including job cuts and outsourcing.
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UNITE HERE Local 2 is the hospitality workers’ union in the San Francisco Bay Area, representing over 15,000 workers in hotels, restaurants, food services, Oakland International Airport, San Francisco International Airport, and more.