Tarnished Crowne: N.J. AFL-CIO Backs Secaucus Hotel Boycott

[Omaha Steve]

http://blog.aflcio.org/2007/04/16/tarnished-crowne-nj-afl-cio-backs-secaucus-hotel-boycott/

Tarnished Crowne: N.J. AFL-CIO Backs Secaucus Hotel Boycott

by Mike Hall, Apr 16, 2007

The New Jersey State AFL-CIO is urging all its affiliates and members to join a boycott of the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Secaucus by the UNITE HERE New Jersey State Council.

The Rosdev Group, headquartered in Montreal, Canada, bought the hotel in December 2004. Although the company hired the existing workforce, it refused to acknowledge workers’ contract. In January 2005, Rosdev unilaterally stopped making contributions to workers’ health and pension plans, slashed staffing and hours and laid off employees, according to www.rosdevrevealed.org, a website sponsored by UNITE HERE and other union activists.

Since contract talks began in February 2005, the company has refused to discuss the layoffs, reduced hours and management’s other unilateral changes. Rosdev also declared workers’ seniority will not be recognized. In addition, management eliminated accumulated vacation, sick and personal days and has proposed eliminating family health insurance and replacing it with coverage for employees only. The company also wants to eliminate the pension plan and replace it with a 401(k) plan with no employer contribution, the union says.

UNITE HERE Local 96 filed several unfair labor practice charges against Rosdev and last July, an administrative law judge for the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) ruled the company engaged in several unfair labor practices, including its threats to eliminate the union.

FULL story at link.