Labor & Employment Law

Trumka Stumps for Jobs, Justice for Hotel Workers

By Mike Hall

AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka kicks off a swing through California with a focus on jobs for America’s workers and justice for hotel workers. We will blog, Twitter and offer Facebook coverage of the events, but here’s a preview of the major actions.

Tomorrow in San Diego, he will tour the San Diego Central Labor Council’s pre-apprenticeship training program designed to help prepare students for construction and building trades unions’ apprenticeships.

Later, Trumka joins San Diego local labor, community, political leaders and workers at a jobs rally to promote local hiring for public works projects and contracted services.

Thursday in Los Angeles, he will meet with students at the Electrical Workers (IBEW) Training Institute, where they are learning skills to prepare for family supporting jobs?with a special emphasis on green jobs.

Late this afternoon in San Francisco, he will join several hundred members of UNITE-HERE Local 2, UNITE-HERE President John Wilhelm and community supporters for a march and rally to demand a fair contract for workers at several national hotel chains.

The profitable chains, including Hilton, Hyatt and Starwood, are using the recession as an excuse to demand health care benefit cuts and wage increases in contract talks with more than 16,000 workers at dozens of hotels in San Francisco, Chicago and other cities. On Thursday, he will join workers for a rally and picket in from of the Hyatt Century Plaza in Los Angeles.

Full post as published by AFL-CIO NOW BLOG on January 05, 2010 (boomark / email).