Three months following the declaration of a nationwide boycott against President-elect Donald Trump by the Culinary Union, an agreement has finally been reached with Trump Hotel in Las Vegas by the group.
Boycott came after Trump reps refused to negotiate
In September, the union announced a boycott following nine unsuccessful months of trying to negotiate a contract for employees at Trump International Hotel.
In December 2015, the hotel’s staff voted to join the union, with a narrow margin of 238-209 in favor. Despite the successful vote, they were unable to establish a contract for the hotel’s staff.
The hotel’s representatives refused to participate in contract negotiation discussions. Following several months of silence, the union was forced to implement a boycott.
Labor unions did not back Trump campaign
The Vegas Culinary Union, a component of a broader labor organization named UNITE HERE that endorsed Hillary Clinton for president in June, was accompanied by the AFL-CIO in the September boycott.
“When the boycott was announced, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka condemned [Trump’s] refusal to negotiate with the dedicated employees who contribute to the success of his hotel as disgraceful,”
The boycott persisted throughout the campaign, encompassing numerous public protests and demonstrations on Trump’s properties. It’s important to mention that Clinton won Nevada in the election. This marked the third consecutive presidential election where Nevada voted Democrat.
Nevada is traditionally considered a red state. The Culinary Union, one of the most powerful unions in the Silver State, is thought by some to have influenced the state’s shift towards Clinton, possibly due to a boycott.
New contract good for four years
In November, the National Labor Relations Board instructed Trump Hotel to negotiate. A deal was subsequently reached in the following month.
The new agreement, set to be implemented in January 2017 and span four years, will bring about increased salaries, family care, and enhanced job security for nearly 500 employees at the Las Vegas establishment.
News for workers at Trump’s DC hotel, too
This week, the Trump property in Vegas was not the only president-elect’s hotel making headlines on the labor front.
The recently inaugurated Trump International Hotel on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington D.C. has declared that it will permit organized groups of employees on the premises to gather and talk about potential labor unions for the property.
In a statement from UNITE HERE, Eric Danziger, the CEO of Trump Hotels, said:
We consider UNITE HERE Local 25 a significant ally in Washington, D.C. Our objectives align with the Union’s, as we both aim to secure exceptional jobs for the employees. Simultaneously, we want to allow the hotel to thrive in a competitive market and strive to be recognized as one of the world’s top hotels.
Image courtesy: Dan Kosmayer/Shutterstock.com
