New England JLC Supports LeMeridien Cambridge Workers!
(October 11, 2012) Cambridge, MA - New England Jewish Labor Committee activists were at the rally and march at the Le Meridien Cambridge on October 11th where workers launched a boycott of their own hotel. Over 200 community and hotel and food service workers joined Le Meridien Cambridge workers on the picket line to demand justice from the hotel's owner and operator, private equity hotelier, HEI Hospitality.
HEI is an equity acquisition company that bought Le Meridien three years ago and has been making profits for its investors by lowering labor costs. Health benefits contributions from employees have doubled recently and there have been little in wage increases. Cuts in staff have resulted in increased and unreasonable work loads. Starwood owns the Le Meridien brand name and franchises to HEI, which owns the Cambridge Hotel. About eight months ago, 70 percent of the workers signed a petition asking for a fair process in deciding on collective representation. Management refused to even take the petition. Though the workers at Le Méridien are not unionized, they have been receiving assistance in organizing protests from UNITE HERE Local 26, which represents hospitality workers throughout Massachusetts, and a range of community-based organizations. After the picket, protesters took to the streets, in a sizeable march towards Cambridge City Hall. It's been reported that Harvard, Yale, and Brown have all decided to not do any additional investments in HEI.