Senate Democratic Conference Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Senator Montgomery and members of the Senate Democratic Conference stand with the Hotel Trades Council to fight for workers at the Hilton Albany.
September 20, 2017
New York State Senate Democratic Conference Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Senator Montgomery and members of the Senate Democratic Conference stand with the Hotel Trades Council (HTC) to fight for workers at the Hilton Albany. HTC represents about 140 people at the Hilton, who work as room attendants, bell staff, engineers, front desk staff, bartenders, cooks and food service workers whose contract expired in April.
In the joint letter, the Senate Democratic Conference members note:
We are writing to discuss your current contract negotiations with unionized employees at your hotel. It is our understanding that your company is currently negotiating with employees represented by the Hotel Trades Council for the first time, as your company purchased the hotel in 2015 and the union contract recently expired. We urge you to bargain in good faith, and come to a mutually beneficial agreement with your employees.
Media reports have indicated that your company has proposed substantial reductions in benefits for your employees, including elimination of a defined-benefit pension in favor of a 401(k) style plan, a loss of two bereavement days per year, other reductions in paid leave, and elimination of call-in pay when an employee is called to work on a scheduled day off.
Your hotel has a long history of working with its employees in a positive manner, and management should strive to maintain an amicable approach to the hotel’s workforce and labor relations. Unfortunately, until this contract dispute is resolved, please be advised that we will not cross a picket line maintained by your workforce.
To read the entire letter, download the PDF attachment.
For more information about this issue, visit:
http://www.timesunion.com/7day-state/article/State-lawmakers-get-involved-in-Hilton-labor-12255453.php
http://blog.timesunion.com/capitol/archives/278333/governor-directs-agencies-not-to-use-hilton-albany/
http://www.timesunion.com/business/article/Union-pickets-over-contract-dispute-at-Albany-12201007.php