Kevin Joy’s Dec. 6 article about the opening of the Hotel Commonwealth, while informative, glaringly omitted the struggle of Boston Hotel Workers Union Local 26 (“Hotel Commonwealth slated for late January 2003 opening,” Dec. 6, pg. 1).
Boston University owned the Howard Johnson building, but did not renew the lease last September. Instead, BU turned the building into a dormitory — good for students looking for on-campus housing, but bad for the union workers who lost their jobs. BU left these men and woman looking for new jobs. Now, the Hotel Commonwealth is about to open right down the street, with investment coming from BU. Will these workers find good jobs there with a strong union? Probably not.
Timothy Kirwan, the managing director of the new hotel was quoted in the Boston Business Journal’s Feb. 2001 issue, saying, “Hotel owners and hotel managers essentially position the hotels to either take a neutral position on the issue or an aggressive nonunion position on the issue. I think we’re going to be interested in becoming a nonunion hotel. I think we can be more competitive that way.”
Unlike the vast majority of hotel operators and developers in Boston, Hotel Commonwealth operators and developers have refused to negotiate an agreement that will ensure that workers at the hotel can choose whether or not to join a union free from management interference.
The Local 26 contract at Howard Johnson’s guaranteed education opportunities, health insurance for families and domestic partners, a retirement plan and many other worker-friendly stipulations. Given the “aggressive nonunion position” of the Hotel Commonwealth management, it’s safe to assume that there will be no guarantees at the new hotel. Why? So that Hotel Commonwealth can be “more competitive” – to fatten management’s wallets.
So what can be done? First of all, boycott! When your parents come to visit, ask them to stay in one of Boston’s many unionized hotels. Write to Boston University administrators, urging them to pressure the Hotel Commonwealth management to allow a worker-run union. Support union shops whenever possible. Remember: the labor movement brought us the weekend!
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