Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees (HERE)

Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees (HERE)
Name	HERE
Full name	Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees
Founded	1890s
Dissolved	2004 (merged)
Merged into	Unite Here
Headquarters	United States and Canada
Key people	George Meany; John Sweeney; Bruce Raynor; Andrew J. Stern
Members	300,000 (peak)
Industry	Hospitality; Foodservice

Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees (HERE) was a North American labor union representing workers in hotels, restaurants, casinos, and related hospitality and foodservice establishments. Formed by the consolidation of multiple local and national unions, the organization became a major actor in urban labor politics, hospitality labor standards, and collective bargaining across the United States and Canada. HERE negotiated landmark contracts, led high-profile strikes and campaigns, and ultimately merged into a successor organization in the early 21st century.

History

HERE emerged from late 19th- and early 20th-century labor movements that included unions such as the American Federation of Labor, the Hotel and Restaurant Employees' International Alliance, and various city-based locals in New York City, Chicago, and San Francisco. Throughout the Progressive Era and the Roaring Twenties, leaders drew on tactics developed during the Pullman Strike era and organized workers in urban service sectors linked to tourism in Atlantic City, Las Vegas, and Miami Beach. During the New Deal period HERE affiliated with broader federations influenced by figures like A. Philip Randolph and unions such as the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters. Postwar growth paralleled the expansion of the hospitality industry around landmarks such as Times Square redevelopment and the rise of corporate hotel chains including Hilton Hotels and Sheraton Hotels and Resorts. In the late 20th century HERE engaged with international labor trends involving organizations such as the Canadian Labour Congress and navigated labor law environments shaped by decisions of the National Labor Relations Board. Internal debates over strategy and jurisdiction culminated in a merger with the Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees-affiliated locals and later formation of a successor body in the 2000s tied to leaders formerly of the Service Employees International Union.

Organization and Structure

HERE organized through a federated structure of regional and local unions anchored by city-based locals in metropolitan centers like Boston, Los Angeles, Toronto, and Montreal. Governance combined an international executive board with locally elected business agents and shop stewards who worked alongside grievance committees in properties owned by corporations including Marriott International, Hyatt Hotels Corporation, and Caesars Entertainment. The union maintained district councils, pension funds, and health plans administered in coordination with trustees drawn from unions and employers, often referencing precedents set by the Taft-Hartley Act era. Internal caucuses vied for leadership in conventions attended by delegates from locals representing bellpersons, waitstaff, cooks, and room attendants. HERE also engaged with labor education institutions such as the Cesar Chavez-linked training programs and collaborated with municipal governments in dealing with zoning and hospitality licensing boards in cities including San Diego and Philadelphia.

Membership and Demographics

Membership included front-of-house and back-of-house workers: bellhops, concierges, porters, housekeepers, servers, bartenders, cooks, banquet staff, and casino employees in jurisdictions such as Nevada and Ontario. Demographics shifted over decades from predominantly European immigrant workforces to include women, African Americans, Latinos, and recent immigrants from regions including the Caribbean and Southeast Asia. HERE locals in tourist hubs such as New Orleans and Orlando reflected seasonality and migrant labor patterns similar to those observed in studies of labor in Hurricane Katrina-impacted sectors and resort economies like Palm Springs. The union negotiated seniority and job classification rules addressing issues raised by advocacy groups such as United Farm Workers and civil rights organizations connected to leaders like Bayard Rustin.

Collective Bargaining and Labor Actions

HERE conducted collective bargaining with hotel corporations, casino operators, and restaurant conglomerates, employing strikes, pickets, boycotts, and coordinated campaigns modeled on tactics used by the United Auto Workers and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union. Major labor actions took place at properties owned by Hilton, Wynn Resorts, and regional chains, while citywide strikes in places like San Francisco and Chicago mobilized allied organizations including clergy and community groups associated with the Industrial Areas Foundation. HERE also implemented targeted consumer-facing strategies such as negotiated room-service agreements and fought for health and safety standards paralleling regulatory efforts influenced by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. High-profile strikes sometimes prompted intervention by municipal authorities and state labor boards including the California Public Employment Relations Board.

Political Activities and Advocacy

HERE engaged in political lobbying, campaign endorsements, and grassroots voter mobilization in municipal, state, and federal races, aligning with leaders in the Democratic Party and cooperating with progressive coalitions involving organizations like the National Organization for Women and the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists. The union supported immigration reform measures debated in the United States Congress and campaigned on living wage ordinances in cities such as Seattle and Los Angeles. Political activity included litigation and amicus briefs in cases before the United States Supreme Court and advocacy before provincial legislatures in Canada. HERE's political programs mirrored modern labor political strategies devised by figures connected to the AFL-CIO and grassroots models promoted by activists from unions like the Amalgamated Transit Union.

Notable Contracts and Legal Cases

HERE negotiated multi-year master contracts covering wages, benefits, and job security with national employers such as Marriott International and regional casino operators like MGM Resorts International. Legal disputes involved labor law rulings before the National Labor Relations Board and court cases concerning bargaining units, jurisdictional disputes, and pension obligations adjudicated in federal courts including the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. High-profile litigation implicated employers and municipal regulators in cities like Las Vegas and Atlantic City, and labor leaders testified in hearings convened by congressional committees chaired by legislators such as George Miller (California politician).

Legacy and Influence on Hospitality Industry

HERE's legacy includes establishment of wage floors, health benefits, grievance mechanisms, and training standards that influenced employment norms at chains like InterContinental Hotels Group and independent properties in destinations such as Vancouver and Quebec City. The union's organizing models informed subsequent campaigns by successor organizations and allied unions including Unite Here and Service Employees International Union, shaping debates over privatization, outsourcing, and labor standards in the global hospitality sector tied to events like the Olympic Games and the expansion of convention centers in cities such as Atlanta.

Category:Trade unions