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If you like ALA controversies, try this one relating to their decision to use the Marriott Hotel near Moscone Center in San Francisco as the headquarters hotel for this year\’s annual conference. The decision was made quite a while ago, but not before it was widely known that Marriott was under a boycott for labor troubles. The boycott is endorsed by many important groups city officials, including the Mayor. Read on for an open letter regarding this situation.

If you like ALA controversies, try this one relating to their decision to use the Marriott Hotel near Moscone Center in San Francisco as the headquarters hotel for this year\’s annual conference. The decision was made quite a while ago, but not before it was widely known that Marriott was under a boycott for labor troubles. The boycott is endorsed by many important groups city officials, including the Mayor. Read on for an open letter regarding this situation.

February 14, 2001 
Dear Friends and Colleagues, 
You may be aware that the American Library Association has chosen

to use the San Francisco Marriott (Moscone Center, downtown) as

its headquarters hotel for the upcoming conference in June. The

ALA Executive Board is aware that they may be forcing you to

cross picket lines and patronize corporate lawbreakers, even

though they were fully aware of the situation when they signed

their contract with the hotel back in 1997. This was done after

we had demonstrated at the hotel during the ALA convention that

same year! 
We are asking for your help in pressuring ALA to move its

headquarters to another hotel and cancel all events held there.

The San Francisco Marriott is the site of the largest and longest

running labor dispute in the city. In 1980, when Marriott was

allowed to develop this hotel on city land, one of the city\’s major

conditions was that Marriott would not actively oppose unionization.

However, in 1989 when the hotel opened, Marriott reneged on that

agreement. 
Nevertheless, in 1996, a majority of Marriott employees chose the

union. Since then, over 120 negotiation sessions have taken place.

Months of escalating and continuous actions culminated in a 2-day

strike in July 2000. There are regular and ongoing demonstrations.

In addition, the National Labor Relations Board, an agency of the

Federal Government, is prosecuting Marriott for just under 100

labor law violations including: 
         –  illegally firing workers supportive of the union

         –  discriminatorily denying wage and benefit increases to

           employees represented by the union

         –  bargaining in \”bad faith\” 
This past Labor Day, 800 Marriott workers and community supporters,

joined by religious and community leaders, demonstrated outside Marriott

to launch the boycott.  Mayor Willie Brown, members of the San Francisco

Board of Supervisors, President Pro Tem of the California State Senate

John Burton, California State Assembly member Carole Migden, and Assembly

Majority Leader Kevin Shelley, were there to publicly endorse the

boycott. 
A number of statements about the Marriott labor dispute and

boycott were incorrect in the ALA fact sheet. They are as follows: 
1. ALA factsheet: There is NO ongoing strike against the

Marriott: a two day workstoppage last summer was not well supported

by the restaurant employees.

   Local 2: The Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees Union

represents 925 room cleaners, dishwashers, bellmen, phone

operators, and room service workers in addition to restaurant

workers at the Marriott. During the two-day strike last July,

over 75 percent of Marriott workers participated.  Each and every

day there is an ongoing boycott against Marriott endorsed by the

Mayor Willie Brown and members of the SF Board of Supervisors. 
2. ALA: Many of these (Unfair Labor Practices) have been

dismissed by the National Labor Relations Board. There has been

no finding by the NLRB that Marriott has acted unlawfully.

   Local 2: The NLRB\’s prosecution of the Marriott was ready to

go to trial January 29, 2001. Over 80 workers are prepared to testify

on almost 100 separate violations of the law.  Marriott\’s lawyers

responded by filing motions to delay the trial. The NLRB, a branch

of the Federal Government, is seeking the most extreme penalty

allowed by law. 
The intermittent picketing usually occurs for an hour to an hour

and one-half on Thursdays and/or Fridays. Last Sunday and Monday,

February 4th and 5th, over 1300 people composed of Marriott

workers, hotel workers from throughout the city, and community

supporters demonstrated in front the Marriott continuously from 6

a.m. to 10 p.m. both days. 
3. ALA: Marriott representatives have informed ALA that they hope

to have a signed union contract before June.

   Local 2: Marriott\’s behavior shows no indication that they

are interested in signing a contract. 
4. ALA: Due to the size of ALA conferences, they can only be held

in a limited number of cities, and the hotels and convention

centers in these cities are subject to union action at any time.

   Local 2: In San Francisco, virtually all large hotels are

under a five-year union contract until August 2004 and the union

is prohibited from picketing or striking until the contract expires.

The only hotel you will find prone to strikes or picketing during

the ALA convention is at the Moscone Center Marriott. 
Join us in pressuring ALA to fix their error and make it possible

for all of us to attend ALA conference sessions without crossing

a picket line. 
Sincerely,

Adelaide Chen, Marriott Boycott Coordinator

HERE, Local 2

San Francisco

415.864.8770 ext. 751

[email protected] 
Librarians\’ Caucus

SEIU, Local 790

San Francisco/Oakland

(c/o Andrea Grimes, SFPL

415.557.4572

[email protected]) 
P.S. Spread the word and this letter: Boycott Marriott!