MEMBERS RATIFY CONTRACT EXTENSION!

Hotel Trades Council members voted overwhelmingly on June 4th to ratify a seven-year extension of the industry-wide contract (IWA) between the Union and the Hotel Association. The ratification vote took place by secret ballot, and members approved the extension by a monumental margin. A total of 3,354 members voted “yes” to approve the deal, and only 45 members voted against it.

The extension means that the vast majority of Hotel Trades Council members employed in New York City will enjoy more contract gains, not the least of which are wage increases on July 1 of every year until the contract expires in 2026.

This historic contract extension affects hotels in the Hotel Association’s bargaining group—that’s more than 20,000 members in well over 100 hotels—as well as “Me Too” hotels that have also agreed to the deal. The list of hotels affected by the extension and those that are not yet part of the deal can be found here. The Union has now made it a priority to get the hotels that have not yet agreed to the extension to sign on to the deal.

“This contract means that I don’t have to worry about tomorrow, and it gives us time to keep building the union,” said Salvador Moreta, an employee of the Andaz Wall Street.

“We have more than a decade of security now,” said Noel Young, an employee of the Hotel Pennsylvania. “Everyone I have spoken to is really happy with this agreement.”

Throughout the day, from the time the polls opened at 7:00 a.m. until they closed at 7:00 p.m., members reported that they were thrilled with the contract extension. Many said they were excited about the new Brooklyn Health Center and the fact that the extension will bring about weekend hours at the pharmacies. The expansion of the Queens Health Center—also part of the contract extension—was also a popular feature with many members.

Virtually everyone said that they appreciated guaranteed free family medical care until 2026 and that they really liked the peace of mind that a long term contract provides to them and their families.

“This is the best!” said Jairo Arcila, a Sheraton New York employee, who came to the ratification vote with co-worker Jean St. Aud. “We have great wage increases as well as guaranteed medical and no worries for many years. It really is the best!”

Members were in good spirits all day, even when there was a line to get into the auditorium. Told that the wait to vote was less than five minutes, one member said, “What’s five minutes when we are getting seven more years of security for our families?”

Under the contract extension members will receive a one dollar per hour wage increase (fifty cents per hour for tipped employees) every July 1 for seven years beginning with July 1 2019. This means that a room attendant who was earning $25.46 an hour when the current contract began will be earning $39.87 an hour—more than $72,500 a year—as of July 1, 2025. There are other good things in the contract extension, and a full summary of them can be found here.

The overwhelming percentage of “yes” votes to only 45 “no” votes was not only a ringing endorsement of the contract extension but also a strong expression of support for Peter Ward and the leadership team that negotiated it.

“Peter Ward and everyone involved in this agreement deserve out thanks,” said John Gianotti, a Hotel Pennsylvania employee. “This is beautiful. I have nothing but good things to say about this extension. Everyone is voting ‘yes.’”

Following the tabulation of the votes by Global Election Services, Hotel Trades Council President Peter Ward said that the union is getting good results like solid wage increases, guaranteed free family medical care and added benefits not because of him but because of a united and dedicated membership. He thanked the union’s staff, saying they were caring and dedicated, and he praised members throughout the union for their strong solidarity.

“This contract extension takes us well into the next decade,” Ward said. “It not only enables us to protect our families and have unprecedented wage and benefits security for the next 11 years, it allows us to devote the time needed to keep our union strong by continuing to fight against condominium conversions, Airbnb and other factors that threaten our members’ jobs.”

While the ratified contract extension affects more than 20,000 members employed in more than 100 hotels, there is more work to be done for the members employed in the several dozen hotels that have not yet signed on to the agreement. The union has already begun work to add those hotels to the contract extension.

Once again, a full review of the terms of the contract extension can be found here: http://hotelworkers.org/article/new-agreement-reached-to-extend-the-industry-wide

“This contract extension is the best,” said Jairo Arcila, seen here with fellow Sheraton New York employee Jean St. Aude and Rank and File Organizer Juana Velez.

“I have nothing but good things to say about this contract extension,” said John Gianotti, Hotel Pennsylvania.

Marva Moore, Carlton Hotel, said she likes everything in the contract extension, adding that she particularly excited about the new Brooklyn Health Center being built.

Noel Young, Hotel Pennsylvania, Salvador Moreta, Andaz Wall Street, and Badreddine Hafid, Intercontinental Times Square gave robust approval to the contract extension.

“Nobody knows the future, but we do at least until 2026!” said Regina Nuako, New Yorker Hotel.