Hotel Workers Organizing in Indianapolis

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by Michael Biskar, Organizer UniteHere

Indianapolis hotel workers are engaged in a struggle of historic proportions. Huge majorities of workers at the Sheraton, Westin, and Hyatt Regency hotels have demanded that management agree to a card-check neutrality agreement. There are currently no union hotels in Indianapolis and work conditions are incredibly tough. Housekeepers regularly clean 30-40 rooms per day for just $7.25/hr, whereas their union counterparts in Chicago clean no more than 16 rooms per day and start at $14.50/hr. Health care costs are through the roof and most workers are on some form of state aid.
The city’s hospitality workers have contributed millions of our tax dollars to subsidize the expansion of the booming hotel and convention business. All we’re asking for is a return on our investment. Hoosier Hospitality means that the places we often recommend for tourists to patronize should also be economically accessible to us.
We’ve just put together a short video documenting the Indianapolis hotel workers’ two-year fight. We encourage you to listen to their stories and to pass it along to friends.
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http://talkingunion.wordpress.com/2009/05/05/hotel-workers-organizing-in-indianapolis/
FULL ARTICLE
there are links to more info in the article.



Hotel Workers Rising Indianapolis part I
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exBtVnZaWUk

Hotel Workers Rising Indianapolis part II
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGSX5bw-Gxc&feature=related