Anchorage Update

Workers plan protest over Sheraton firings

February 19, 2010

For more than 10 years, Lucy Dudek worked at the Sheraton Anchorage. This week, she and three of her co-workers were fired for trespassing, insubordination and other charges.

Their offense? While they were off duty on Feb. 2, they stood outside the Sheraton, passing out fliers to potential customers about a union-sponsored boycott of the hotel. The boycott began three months ago after Sheraton management imposed a heavier work load and more expensive family health insurance coverage.

The boycott -- one of two at downtown Anchorage hotels -- asks that potential guests not eat, sleep or meet there until the boycott is over.

Dudek and her union, UNITE HERE, say the Sheraton firings were illegal retaliation. They cite federal labor law that says workers have the right to hand out union literature at their workplace when they are off-duty.

"I hope we shall overcome this and get our jobs back," said Dudek, who said she was a food server at the hotel until getting suspended two weeks ago and terminated on Wednesday. She is a shop steward for Local 878 of UNITE HERE, a national union of hospitality, garment and airport service workers.

The Sheraton's general manager did not return calls for comment on Friday. But the company has told its workers, on a paper attached to their paychecks this week, that the hotel has lost $250,000 since the boycott began, according to two fired employees who got the check.

Among those joining the union boycott at the Sheraton is gubernatorial candidate Ethan Berkowitz, a former Democratic lawmaker who said Friday it led him to cancel his involvement in a Feb. 4 economic summit hosted by radio talk-show host Dan Fagan at the Sheraton. Berkowitz was scheduled to speak at the summit.

Read the rest of the article >>

 

Read past updates:	See updates from other cities: Select a Location Anchorage Boston Chicago Honolulu Indianapolis Long Beach Los Angeles Monterey Minneapolis Northern Virginia Pittsburgh Providence San Antonio San Diego San Francisco Toronto Vancouver Washington DC
Toronto's Local 75 Members March to the Hyatt Regency Workers Strike Hyatt Regency Century Plaza as contract negotiations stall Hyatt workers strike at Hyatt O'Hare Hyatt Regency Waikiki employees strike for a day over new contract Hotel workers forced to take one-day strike at Hyatt Regency Toronto Read All