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WHEREAS, members of UNITE HERE, a member of the Allegheny County Labor Council, work in hotels, restaurants, arenas, cafeterias, industrial laundries throughout Pittsburgh and Allegheny County; and
WHERAS, UNITE HERE members at two major downtown hotels are currently engaged in collective bargaining and the members of the Pittsburgh City Council endeavor to remain open minded in private sector labor disputes, relying on the collective bargaining process and the good will of Employers and the Unions who represent their workers to reach a fair and equitable solution to the goals of each party; and
WHEREAS, both the Sheraton Station Square hotel and the Westin Convention Center hotel are owned by Forest City Enterprises and operated by Starwood Hotels, and these hotels employ hundreds of workers who proudly help to ensure the success of their hotels and promote the image of the city of Pittsburgh for their guests; and
WHEREAS, Forest City and the Sheraton have prevented workers at the Sheraton Station Square from exercising their right to inform the public about their labor dispute, and the Council of the City of Pittsburgh supports the rights of all workers to exercise freely and fairly the rights afforded them under the National Labor Relations Act; and
WHEREAS, the success and stability of Pittsburgh's major employers is of vital interest to the Council of the City of Pittsburgh. Tourism and the hospitality industry represent an increasingly important part of our local economy, and labor force stability in that industry is important to the overall economic health of our region; and
WHEREAS, in 2007 Pittsburgh will be host to high-profile events such as the US Open Golf tournament and the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix; and
WHEREAS, it is in the best interest of the City of Pittsburgh to avoid disputes and ensure Labor Peace throughout our city.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH AS FOLLOWS:
We urge Starwood Hotels and Forest City to do the following:
1. Refrain from interfering in their employees' exercise of their Section 7
rights under the National Labor Relations Act, including the right to inform
the public about the nature of contract negotiations and potential disputes;
2. Bargain in good faith with those employees' legal representatives to
promote the growth of good jobs for our community and constituents -
that is, jobs which provide living wages, retirement security, affordable
health insurance and long-term job security; and,
3. Take steps to ensure the hotel workers' jobs will be protected despite
any possible sale of their hotel.