By Carl Finamore

Hotel workers boycott picket line of the St. Francis Hotel on March 16 stands firm even as former President Bill Clinton decided to speak at an event in the hotel.
Former president Bill Clinton accepted a March 16 speaking engagement at the San Francisco Westin St. Francis, a hotel which is the subject of a worker-called boycott endorsed by UNITE-HERE Local 2, the San Francisco Labor Council, AFL-CIO, and by numerous political, religious and community organizations.
Clinton ignored the boycott but could not avoid union members working inside who confirmed he was present. The former president takes in upwards of $350,000 each time he steps up to a podium with $65 million in documented speaking fees since leaving office through 2009.
The Starwood Hotels and Resorts, managers of the Westin St. Francis, are not doing so bad in that department either. According to the February 4, 2011 Wall St. Journal, Starwood’s revenue rose 7.5% last year to $1.34 billion.
CEO Frits van Paasschen boasted that “by containing costs we are translating these higher revenues into higher profits….”
Except for Clinton’s breach of solidarity, things had been going rather well the last week. Only a few days ago, the respected organization NARAL Pro-Choice for America pulled its luncheon from the Westin St. Francis to another union hotel not on the boycott list.
It was also in this same week that hotel workers overwhelmingly approved the breakthrough contract with the San Francisco Hilton, the first hotel to settle among 59 remaining in the 18-month labor dispute affecting over 8000 workers.
Yet, in the face of the Hilton settlement, Starwood broke off negotiations and “has shown no urgency to return. If Hilton can settle on a contract that respects its workers, why can’t Starwood?” asked Riddi Mehta, union spokeswoman.
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Filed under: Strikes and work action | Tagged: Bill Clinton, San Francisco hotel boycott, Unite Here Local 2 | Leave a comment »