Unionized hotel workers in the District, represented by Local 25 of UNITE HERE, began contract negotiations Thursday with the hotel industry and the Hotel Association of Washington.
The main issues on the table are similar to those in previous years — health benefits, wage increases, and work rule changes, Hotel Association President Emily Durso said. The association said in a statement it was “optimistic” that an agreement could be reached. The union is also “ready to sit down and work out a deal,” Executive Secretary Treasurer John Boardman told The Examiner.
Under the current health insurance plan, which both sides hope will stay the same, union workers and their families receive medical, vision and dental care without charge, except for a $10 to $15 copay, according to Durso and Boardman.
The union and the hotels have already spoken with Kaiser, the health care provider,and are waiting for a response.
Unionized hotels comprise less than a quarter of hotels in the District, 25 out of 110, Durso said.
However, the unionized venues include many of the larger hotels, so about one-third of hotel workers belong to a union.
Boardman said the number is closer to half of the hotel employees, if only the full-service, first class hotels are counted.
The union hopes to benefit from the sectors strong performance.
Tourism is supposed to grow by 5.8 percent from 2007 to 2008, said Steven Pedigo, director of research at the Greater Washington Initiative. Hotel room rates are up, and the economy is strong.
The union is “looking for a package that reflects the situation that exists,” Boardman said.
The robust economic conditions could actually make it more difficult for the hotels to negotiate, Durso said.
“In a recession, unions know there’s only so much money on the table,” but that certainly isn’t the case at the moment, she said.
