UNITE HERE

UNITE HERE
Name	UNITE HERE
Founded	2004
Headquarters	New York City
Members	300,000 (approx.)
President	General President (see Structure and Leadership)
Predecessor	Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union; Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees International Union

UNITE HERE is a North American labor union representing workers in the hospitality, gaming, food service, textile, garment, manufacturing, laundry, and airport industries. Founded through a merger in 2004, the union organizes employees at hotels, casinos, restaurants, laundries, and related workplaces across the United States and Canada, engaging in collective bargaining, political endorsement, organizing drives, and public campaigns. Its activities have intersected with numerous labor struggles, legal disputes, electoral politics, and labor movement allies and opponents.

History

UNITE HERE traces origins to labor organizations with long histories including the Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union, the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees International Union, the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union, and the Crafts Union movement. The 2004 merger that created the union followed negotiations involving leaders from the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, the AFL–CIO, and national labor federations in Canada. Early internal conflicts involved prominent figures such as Bruce Raynor and John Wilhelm and intersected with disputes over affiliation with the Change to Win Federation and the Service Employees International Union. Historic strikes and organizing drives built on precedents set by campaigns like the San Francisco Hotel Strike and the Los Angeles hospitality campaigns of the late 20th century. The union’s evolution has been influenced by legal decisions involving the National Labor Relations Board, contract enforcement linked to the Taft–Hartley Act, and municipal collaborations exemplified by agreements with city governments such as Las Vegas, New York City, and Chicago.

Organization and Membership

The union’s membership includes workers from major employers such as Hilton Worldwide, Marriott International, Hyatt Hotels Corporation, Caesars Entertainment Corporation, MGM Resorts International, Aegis Living (care facilities), and regional operators in Toronto, Boston, San Francisco, Miami, and Los Angeles. Membership rolls have included immigrant workers from countries represented by diasporic networks like Mexico, Philippines, Guatemala, Honduras, and Dominican Republic, and have overlapped with community organizations such as Jobs With Justice and faith-based groups like the Interfaith Worker Justice. The union interfaces with labor councils such as the AFL–CIO Central Labor Council and provincial federations like the Canadian Labour Congress. Units are organized into local unions, pension plans tied to entities like the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees Pension Plan, and benefit funds that coordinate with institutions such as Health and Welfare Funds and regional apprenticeship programs connected to Nevada State College initiatives.

Major Campaigns and Actions

UNITE HERE has led high-profile campaigns including extended strikes and boycotts against corporations such as Hilton, Marriott, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Wynn Resorts, and Caesars Palace. Notable actions have included the multi-city worker protests linked to the Justice for Janitors movement, airport worker organizing campaigns at hubs like San Francisco International Airport, Los Angeles International Airport, and Chicago O’Hare International Airport, and casino campaigns in Las Vegas and Atlantic City. The union coordinated national boycotts in solidarity with immigrant labor drives seen in actions connected to groups such as Make the Road New York and National Domestic Workers Alliance. UNITE HERE participated in municipal living-wage campaigns parallel to efforts by Fight for $15 and housing-worker coalitions tied to Tenants’ Rights movements and municipal ordinances in cities like Seattle and San Francisco.

Political Activity and Advocacy

The union engages in endorsement and electoral mobilization targeting candidates and officeholders in federal, state, and municipal contests, including endorsement campaigns related to figures like Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and various mayors in cities such as Boston, New York City, and Las Vegas. It has lobbied legislatures and regulatory bodies including the United States Congress, provincial legislatures in Ontario, and agencies such as the National Labor Relations Board and Department of Labor. UNITE HERE has supported immigration reform efforts alongside organizations like United We Dream and policy campaigns addressing minimum wage increases championed by groups like Service Employees International Union allies. The union has also pursued ballot measures and coalition advocacy with civic groups such as ACORN and Common Cause in municipal governance and public accountability initiatives.

Structure and Leadership

The union’s governance comprises a General Executive Board, regional directors, and local presidents. Past and present leaders have included nationally visible figures who interacted with leaders from SEIU, Change to Win, and the AFL–CIO. Leadership elections and disputes have involved legal filings in courts such as the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York and labor arbitration through tribunals like panels convened under the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service. The organization maintains staff divisions for organizing, bargaining, political action, research, and legal affairs, coordinating with think tanks and training institutions such as Labor Notes and university labor centers including Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations.

Collective Bargaining and Labor Agreements

Collective bargaining agreements cover wages, benefits, grievance procedures, and pension provisions negotiated with major hospitality and gaming companies including Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt, MGM Resorts, Caesars Entertainment, and regional chains. Contracts have referenced industry standards developed in bargaining rounds similar to patterns seen in agreements enforced under the National Labor Relations Act. Disputes have sometimes led to strikes, arbitration, and public pressure campaigns coordinated with local governments and consumer advocacy groups like Public Citizen and Citizen Action. The union has also negotiated neutrality agreements and card-check recognition arrangements resembling frameworks used in campaigns by unions such as United Steelworkers and Teamsters.

Criticism and Controversies

Criticism has come from employers, rival unions, and political actors. Employers like MGM Resorts International and Caesars Entertainment have publicly contested bargaining tactics and filed unfair labor practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board. Internal disputes produced high-profile litigation involving figures associated with SEIU leadership and governance disputes connected to the broader Change to Win realignment. Critics have accused the union of tactics ranging from aggressive picketing to contentious use of boycotts, drawing responses from business coalitions such as the American Hotel & Lodging Association and legal challenges in forums like the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

Category:Trade unions in the United States Category:Trade unions in Canada