Local 2 strikes again

By Greg ZemanThe Guardsman

Unite Here Local 2, a  self-professed “fighting union” representing over 9,000 hotel workers at  62 hotels in San Francisco, opened a three-day strike of roughly 300  workers at the San Francisco Grand Hyatt on April 7.

Local 2  President Mike Casey has promised future actions at other downtown  hotels if an agreement is not made on worker health care costs.

Grand  Hyatt General Manager David Nadelman said that the union was acting  rashly too early in the negotiations and accused them of being  “completely out of touch.”

The conflict stems from distribution  of financial responsibility for rising health care costs. Workers  believe they are already paying their fair share.

Previous failed  negotiations between Local 2 and hotel ownership led to a 54-day  lockout followed by a two-year union boycott in 2004.