PUERTO RICO HOTEL STRIKE: Caribe Hilton, Condado Plaza, El San Juan

Hilton attempted to illegally impose a union of its choosing on its employees

After a long investigation, Region 24 of the National Labor Relations Board has issued a complaint accusing Hilton Hotels Corporation and “Workers United/SEIU” (the company union) of unlawfully assisting each other for the purposes of “restraining and coercing employees in the exercise of the rights guaranteed in the National Labor Relations Act” at the El San Juan Hotel and Casino, the Condado Plaza, and the Caribe Hilton in Puerto Rico. The complaint (analogous under federal labor law to an indictment) alleges that the company, and its sweetheart union, the so-called “Workers United/SEIU,” illegally cooperated with each other to impose “Workers United/SEIU” as the collective bargaining representative of the employees in all four shops. The NLRB complaint accuses Hilton of violating sections 8a(1), (5) and (2) of the National Labor Relations Act, and “Workers United/SEIU” of violating Section 8(b)(1)(a). The Board is still investigating other charges filed by UNITE HERE Local 610 and additional complaints may be issued at any time.

On April 30, 2009, Edgar Romney, then the President of “Workers United,” now its Secretary-Treasurer, formally requested, by letter, that Hilton recognize “Workers United” as the employees’ representative, even though the counterfeit “union” had not been authorized by a majority of the workers, and despite the fact that the workers were already represented lawfully by Local 610. Hilton immediately responded in writing, granting Romney’s request. Hilton rolled out the red carpet for “Workers United,” giving them access to the hotels and the casino, to meet with employees.

The company invited, as guests of management, “Workers United” staff to attend grievance meetings called by Local 610 (the legally authorized union of the workers). Hilton handed over to “Workers United” complete lists of the employees with their names, home addresses and telephone numbers, lists that “Workers United” continues to use to make house calls on workers. Hilton even flew in a high paid anti-union consultant, Lupe Cruz, from Los Angeles, to hold “captive audience” meetings with employees to assist “Workers United” in undermining support for Local 610.

Cruz and “Workers United” staff received a hostile reception from the workers. Eventually, Cruz flew back to Los Angeles in failure, and Romney sent another letter to Hilton, formally withdrawing the claim that “Workers United” represented the employees, and confessing that it may not have been in accordance with the law for the company union to accept Hilton’s unprecedented “hospitality.” “Workers United” made that admission and withdrew its claim of representing the employees in an attempt to limit the damage its illegal behavior would have on its attempt to petition the NLRB to decertify Local 610 at the El San Juan.

The NLRB’s decision to issue the complaint against Hilton and “Workers United/SEIU,” in addition to the many unfair labor practices the three Hilton hotels have committed, clears the way for Local 610 members to call an unfair labor practice strike against Hilton to remedy these very serious violations of federal law.

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