change take
More than 13,000 hotel workers in four U.S. cities may vote to strike in the coming weeks. Pickets do have the potential to disrupt meetings and conventions.
Andrea Doyle
Changing the venue of a meeting because workers are on strike is not an easy task. But that’s sometimes the only option — and it’s something event planners may face in the coming weeks and months.
Contract negotiations are ongoing at Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt and Omni hotels in Boston, San Francisco, Honolulu and Providence, Rhode Island. If they stall, the likelihood of a strike increases. Unite Here, the union representing workers, said voting will begin on Aug. 6 at 125 hotels in Boston, San Francisco, Honolulu and Providence, Rhode Island.
If workers vote to authorize a strike, they can begin any time after their contract expires. Contracts in some cities have already expired, while in others they will expire in the coming weeks.
Additionally, this year, more than 40,000 hotel workers in more than 20 cities across the United States and Canada signed renegotiated contracts with Unite Here. Additional strike votes may be announced.
“This year’s strikes are gaining momentum as workers are on the verge of collapse while the hospitality industry generates record profits,” said Gwen Mills, president of United Here International. Workers’ demands include higher wages and a reversal of layoffs that have resulted in fewer employees and increased workloads.
Political scientists conference affected by restaurant strike
The strike puts event planners in a difficult position. Canceling or changing venues costs money, but many attendees may want to show support for staff.
The American Political Science Association (APSA) conducted the event last year, when 6,000 people registered for the conference, held at the JW Marriott Hotel in Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Convention Center.
The Marriott is one of the hotels affected by the Unite Here Local 11 worker shutdown. The union asked APSA to support the strike through a boycott. “This is really a call to move the conference out of Los Angeles entirely, not just to these specific hotels,” said Sidney Rothstein, an assistant professor of political science at Williams College and a member of APSA.
APSA issued a statement saying it could not cancel the convention because it would cost the association $2.8 million.
Association members were unhappy. The labor political group APSA, of which Rothstein is co-chair, launched a petition demanding respect for labor rights. More than 1,000 members signed the agreement.
APSA eventually moved its meetings from the JW to the Convention Center. Just a few weeks before the scheduled start date, we completed a challenging 1,500 events in four days.
“They should have seen the strike coming. What’s puzzling is that they didn’t have a contingency plan,” Rothstein said. He decided not to attend in person but to adapt virtually.
APSA did not respond to a request for comment.
This situation demonstrates the importance of being alert to any possible attacks on the property you are using.
Include a strike clause in your contract
What steps can meeting professionals take to protect their events? A contract must be in place that includes remedies for workforce disruptions.
“A contract spells out what will happen when both parties agree to it. As the saying goes, ‘If it’s not in the contract, you don’t get it,’ ” said hotel industry attorney Jonathan T. Howe.
“Generally speaking, a strike will not allow a group to cancel unless there are specific terms in the event contract related to the strike or staffing,” said attorney Lisa Sommer Devlin. If a group believes there is a problem for any reason, it always has the right to ask the hotel to provide reasonable assurance that it can perform its duties as agreed. If the hotel cannot guarantee it, it may make concessions or cancel the reservation on a case-by-case basis,” she said.
Legal counsel can assist. “A group should not make an irrevocable decision without obtaining legal advice,” Sommer-Devlin said.
Most hotels remained open during the strike. Service levels often decrease as managers provide help in other departments and as outside, non-union employees are brought on board.
Not all strikes are the same
Workers hold information pickets to draw attention to an issue. A real strike is a strike by workers.
If your group will not cross the picket line, state this in the contract.
Also, plan for the worst-case scenario. The language in the contract should clearly state what will be done if a strike occurs. Do you want the hotel to cover the ancillary costs of the transfer event? State this.
Do you need to take a bus to another hotel? Make sure the hotel you contract with will cover this cost and any other additional costs incurred.
