Hyatt House, Woodfin Redux?
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| Emeryville Councilwoman Jennifer West joined the protesters Friday. |
Talks broke down between members of an incipient labor union and management at Emeryville's Hyatt House leading to a protest picket line of approximately 100 workers Friday. Union organizers told the Tattler the contention centers around wages and work conditions but bad faith negotiating on the managers part is central to the protest. Union Committee members say a colleague was disciplined and written up for poor work performance, a false claim, the day before the protest as a way to intimidate the Committee. The black mark on the committee member's record, the first, could ultimately lead to termination. The employee in question has a stellar work performance history for four years prior to Thursday, union organizers were quick to point out. Management officials denied the charges.
Union organizers say talks broke down after management broke their promise and refused to answer questions regarding particulars for organizing a union at the hotel.
Coincidentally, the same building, located at 5800 Shellmound Avenue, was the site of a multi-year protest of Woodfin Suites Hotel based on non-compliance of an Emeryville living wage for hotel workers law. Woodfin lost their gambit to deny the workers their back wages after the law took effect. After the court ruling, Woodfin sold the building and moved out of Emeryville.
