Extended Unemployment Benefits Coming to an Abrupt Halt

Thousands of our members have been relying on multiple federally funded programs extending and supplementing unemployment during the COVID-19 crisis. The federal and state governments have extended unemployment well beyond the normal limit of 26 weeks of benefits during this crisis. However, on August 19th, President Biden announced that the federal government would not be extending these programs and he urged states with high unemployment rates – which include New York and New Jersey – to use the federal relief money they have received to extend unemployment benefits. Unfortunately, and contrary to our hopes, New York State has not done so in a meaningful way. Read more...

While tourism has picked up and our industries have started to make a comeback, the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic is unprecedented. Never before have so many hotels and casinos been closed and so many of our Union’s members laid off, for so long.

The months ahead will undoubtedly be difficult for many of our members. You can count on your Union to do absolutely everything in its power to assist you until you are recalled to your Union job. Take a look at some of the resources that are available to you below. Read more...

Harlem Health Center Reopens With Limited Services!

The Union’s Harlem health center reopens August 16^th, after being temporarily closed since the beginning of this year. As many members will recall, the Harlem health center had to temporarily close in January, due to the reduced size of the active workforce. Given the high volume of members returning to our healthcare, either because they are returning to work or through the free COBRA subsidy, the facility is now able to reopen. With the reopening of Harlem, all five locations are now open, with Brooklyn and Harlem offering limited services to start. Read more...

HTC Negotiates New Coronavirus Safety Protocol!

On June 28, 2021, our Union negotiated a new Coronavirus Safety Protocol (“CSP”) agreement with the Hotel Association amidst the gradual reopening of Union hotels.

The agreement maintains most of the safety protections from prior CSP agreements, and adds critical new safeguards to protect against airborne transmission of the virus. The CSP goes a step further to address job security by preserving the requirement for daily room cleaning. Read more...