LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--On Thursday, Aug. 20, 2015, workers at The DoubleTree by Hilton in Downtown Los Angeles filed a petition for a union election with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). They are seeking to be represented by UNITE HERE Local 11. The election covers approximately 160 hourly workers employed at the hotel.
Newly revised NLRB procedures are designed to expedite the union election process, meaning that the DoubleTree Downtown LA could be a unionized hotel as soon as early next month. The union requested a September 4th election date.
The DoubleTree Downtown LA has had a labor dispute since January 2015, including unresolved complaints filed by workers with the California Labor Commissioner’s Office alleging wage and hour violations, a 1-day strike, regular picketing and an ongoing boycott of the hotel.
The hotel is up for sale by current owner United Bank of Switzerland (UBS). Prospective buyers should be aware that they may be purchasing a hotel that will have a unionized workforce as well as an ongoing labor dispute and boycott.
Workers asked management to be neutral in their choice of whether to unionize, but management has refused to make that commitment. In a letter dated June 3, 2015, UBS Realty Investors LLC stated that: “we would like to take this opportunity to unequivocally affirm that UBS supports the rights of all employees to decide the important question of union representation in a private ballot election conducted by the National Labor Relations Board. Such an election would follow long standing procedures established to protect employee rights.” Now that such an NLRB election is to take place, UNITE HERE Local 11 expects UBS to honor the results of the election.
For more information on the DoubleTree Downtown LA labor dispute, please visit: dontbuythedoubletree.org
UNITE HERE Local 11 represents more than 20,000 workers employed in hotels, restaurants, airports, sports arenas, and convention centers throughout Southern California.