Date: Tue, 20 Feb 2001 09:22:17 -0800
From: Mitch Turitz <turitz@SFSU.EDU>
Subject: ALA/Marriott boycott

I have been asked to forward the following:

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Fri, 16 Feb 2001 10:04:45 -0800 (PST)
From: Susan Goldstein <susang@sfpl.lib.ca.us>
Reply-To: balhwdl@thecity.sfsu.edu
To: tsampson@sfsu.edu
Subject: ALA/Marriott letter from Local 2 and Librarians' Caucus

>News from the library world and the upcoming ALA conference in San Francisco.
>>.............................................................
>>PLEASE FORWARD THIS LETTER TO OTHER LIBRARY COLLEAGUES,
>>LISTSERVS, ETC.
>>
>>
>>
>>February 14, 2001
>>
>>
>>Dear Friends and Colleagues,
>>
>>You may be aware that the American Library Association has chosen
>>to use the San Francisco Marriott (Moscone Center, downtown) as
>>its headquarters hotel for the upcoming conference in June. The
>>ALA Executive Board is aware that they may be forcing you to
>>cross picket lines and patronize corporate lawbreakers, even
>>though they were fully aware of the situation when they signed
>>their contract with the hotel back in 1997. This was done after
>>we had demonstrated at the hotel during the ALA convention that
>>same year!
>>
>>We are asking for your help in pressuring ALA to move its
>>headquarters to another hotel and cancel all events held there.
>>The San Francisco Marriott is the site of the largest and longest
>>running labor dispute in the city. In 1980, when Marriott was allowed
>>to develop this hotel on city land, one of the city's major
>>conditions was that Marriott would not actively oppose
>>unionization.  However, in 1989 when the hotel opened, Marriott
>>reneged on that agreement.
>>
>>Nevertheless, in 1996, a majority of Marriott employees chose the
>>union. Since then, over 120 negotiation sessions have taken place.
>>Months of escalating and continuous actions culminated in a 2-day strike
>>in July 2000. There are regular and ongoing demonstrations.  In addition,
>>the National Labor Relations Board, an agency of the Federal Government, is
>>prosecuting Marriott for just under 100 labor law violations including:
>>
>>    -  illegally firing workers supportive of the union
>>    -  discriminatorily denying wage and benefit increases to
>>       employees represented by the union
>>    -  bargaining in "bad faith"
>>
>>This past Labor Day, 800 Marriott workers and community supporters,
>>joined by religious and community leaders, demonstrated outside Marriott
>>to launch the boycott.  Mayor Willie Brown, members of the San Francisco
>>Board of Supervisors, President Pro Tem of the California State Senate John
>>Burton, California State Assembly member Carole Migden, and Assembly
>>Majority Leader Kevin Shelley, were there to publicly endorse the
>>boycott.
>>
>>A number of statements about the Marriott labor dispute and
>>boycott were incorrect in the ALA fact sheet. They are as follows:
>>
>>1. ALA factsheet: There is NO ongoing strike against the
>>Marriott: a two day workstoppage last summer was not well supported
>>by the restaurant employees.
>>
>>   Local 2: During the two-day strike last July, over 75
>>percent of Marriott workers participated.  Each and every day
>>there is an ongoing boycott against Marriott endorsed by the
>>Mayor Willie Brown and members of the SF Board of Supervisors.
>>
>>
>>2. ALA: Many of these (Unfair Labor Practices) have been
>>dismissed by the National Labor Relations Board. There has been
>>no finding by the NLRB that Marriott has acted unlawfully.
>>
>>   Local 2: The NLRB's prosecution of the Marriott was ready to
>>go to trial January 29, 2001.  Over 80 workers are prepared to
>>testify on almost 100 separate violations of the law.  Marriott's
>>lawyers responded by filing motions to delay the trial.
>>The NLRB, a branch of the Federal Government, is seeking the most
>>extreme penalty allowed by law.
>>
>>The intermittent picketing usually occurs for an hour to an hour
>>and one-half on Thursdays and/or Fridays. Last Sunday and Monday,
>>February 4th and 5th, over 1300 people composed of Marriott
>>workers, hotel workers from throughout the city, and community
>>supporters demonstrated in front the Marriott continuously from 6
>>a.m. to 10 p.m. both days.
>>
>>
>>3. ALA: Marriott representatives have informed ALA that they hope
>>to have a signed union contract before June.
>>
>>   Local 2: Marriott's behavior shows no indication that they
>>are interested in signing a contract.
>>
>>
>>4. ALA: Due to the size of ALA conferences, they can only be held
>>in a limited number of cities, and the hotels and convention
>>centers in these cities are subject to union action at any time.
>>
>>   Local 2: In San Francisco, virtually all large hotels are
>>under a five-year union contract until August 2004 and the union
>>is prohibited to picket or strike until the contract expires.
>>The only hotel you will find prone to strikes or picketing during
>>the ALA convention is at the Moscone Center Marriott.
>>
>>
>>Join us in pressuring ALA to fix their error and make it possible
>>for all of us to attend ALA conference sessions without crossing
>>a picket line.
>>
>>
>>Sincerely,
>>Adelaide Chen Marriott Boycott Coordinator
>>Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees Union, Local 2
>>San Francisco
>>415.864.8770 ext.751
>>achen@heresf.org
>>
>>Librarians' Caucus
>>SEIU, Local 790
>>San Francisco/Oakland
>>(c/o Andrea Grimes: 415.557.4572; andreag@sfpl.org)
>>
>>P.S.  Spread the word and this letter: Boycott Marriott!
>>

   _^_                                                 _^_
( ___ )-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-( ___ )
  |   |                                               |   |
  |   |     Mitch Turitz, Serials Librarian           |   |
  |   |     San Francisco State University Library    |   |
  |   |     Internet: turitz@sfsu.edu                 |   |
  |   |     http://userwww.sfsu.edu/~turitz           |   |
  |   |                                               |   |
( ___ )-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-==-=-=-=-=-==-( ___ )
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      Growing old is mandatory, growing wise is optional