by
Sunday picket line at Washington Boulevard and Michigan Avenue. (Photos by Diana Hussein of Unite Here Local 24)
Detroit's first hotel strike in decades is under way at the Westin Book Cadillac downtown, where housekeepers, servers, cooks, stewards and doormen walked off the job Sunday as part of strikes against the Marriott chain in six cities.
Local contracts expired June 30.
"We're fighting for economic justice for ourselves and for our families,” says Nia Winston, president of Unite Here Local 24, the striking union. The members' last strike was 30 years ago, tweets Diana Hussein of the local.
In a media release, Winston adds:
“Workers at the Marriott-operated Westin Book stuck by this city through its hardest times, taking years of pay freezes during the recession to make sure the hotel stayed open. Now the Westin Book Cadillac is the most profitable hotel in the city, yet workers here are being punished for their loyalty -- not rewarded.
"Hotel workers at the Westin Book make thousands less a year than hotel workers six blocks away in the same city at hotels that are less profitable. After months of negotiations, Marriott has refused to make one job enough for full time workers to support families on in Detroit or bring us to parity with other Detroit hotels."
Nia Winston, president of Local 24.
Local 24 represents around 7,000 hospitality, food service and airport service workers in Michigan and Ohio, Annalise Frank writes at Crain's Detroit Business.
Winston told Crain's that the strike started after "months of fruitless negotiations," but did not say how many workers were striking.
A statement from the chain, based in Bethesda, Md., says:
"We are disappointed that Unite Here has chosen to resort to a strike at this time. Marriott's current economic proposal matches the economic terms in the parties' last contract, which included the largest increases in the parties' bargaining history.
"During the strike our hotels are open, and we stand ready to provide excellent service to our guests. While we respect our associates' rights to participate in this work stoppage, we also will welcome any associate who chooses to continue to work."
In its statement, emailed early Sunday to Deadline Detroit and other media, the union adds:
Marriott’s most recent economic offer would take half a decade to bring Westin Book workers up to the current pay standards of other Detroit hotel workers.
Detroit is one of three cities to strike Marriott today. There are currently over 5,000 Unite Here hotel workers on strike against Marriott in Detroit, San Francisco, Boston, San Jose and Oakland.
Union members also walked out Sunday in San Diego, the sixth city affected.
A local member of the union's communications staff tweets:
Wouldn't be a Detroit strike line without some Eminem. pic.twitter.com/wmJWgjsR4G
— Diana Hussein (@heyadiana) October 7, 2018
And there's this from a former 2018 Democratic gubernatorial candidate:
As a (former) loyal @Marriott guest, I support the @UHLocal24 workers. #UnionStrong https://t.co/qC9tC7bgfn
— Abdul El-Sayed (@AbdulElSayed) October 7, 2018
Two hours later, the candidate who beat him in August's primary adds her voice:
I stand with @UHLocal24 workers on strike at the Book Cadillac. One job should be enough for workers at Detroit’s most profitable hotel to raise a family, pay the bills, and retire with dignity. #1job
— Gretchen Whitmer (@gretchenwhitmer) October 7, 2018
Related coverage today:
Gallery: 'We Stood by Detroit' -- Scenes from the Westin Book Cadillac Strike
