Union Displays People Power

The Hotel Trades Council once again showed its tremendous strength on recently, when members and staff traveled to Albany to join with affordable housing advocates to meet with elected officials in our state's capital.

The trip to Albany was part of a larger effort to give our union a say in government, expand HTC's political visibility and continue to build our political power. In another recent event, our members made news when they rallied behind Mayor Bill de Blasio and his Affordable Housing proposal. Members were also present at rallies with Governor Cuomo to fight for a raise in the minimum wage, an effort that ended in success in April when New York State passed a $15 an hour minimum wage. And our members have often chanted on the steps of City Hall to convince the City Council to keep Airbnb from ruining our neighborhoods.

The recent trip to Albany, fighting back against Airbnb, gave our members a voice at the state level.

Members gathered in our union’s auditorium at 6:30 AM on a rainy morning and packed the six buses bound for our state’s capital. The union’s staff had divided members into teams and scheduled meetings with 27 lawmakers and their staffs, making it a very busy!

Upon arrival in Albany, members joined a rally led by Assembly Member Linda Rosenthal, sponsor of the bill. Rosenthal was joined by Assembly Members Ron Kim, Francisco Moya, Richard Gottfried and Deborah Glick, as well as State Senators Liz Krueger and Brad Hoylman. Members packed the “Million Dollar Staircase” in the capitol building as bystanders marveled at the impressive turnout and contagious enthusiasm. The crowd cheered on Rosenthal as she denounced “illegal hotel kingpins.” The other lawmakers spoke about the bill’s importance for their districts.

Personal Stories

For some HTC members, like Betty Rice of the Millennium Broadway, the rally had personal significance. Betty is also a member of the Crown Heights Tenant Union, a neighborhood organization that works to help protect tenants from illegal overcharges and abuses by landlords. 

Betty herself has some suspicions about her landlord’s activities. “I’ve had eight neighbors in two years” noted Rice. Tenants are concerned because landlords in rent-regulated buildings can make more from illegal Airbnb rentals than they can from regular tenants. Landlords are renovating units around long-time tenants. “We have seen landlords force tenants out because they didn’t know their rights” explained Rice. Landlords can then turn around and illegally rent apartments by the night on Airbnb, adding to the vicious cycle of rising rents. Staying active with her union is another way for Betty Rice to stand up for herself and her neighbors.

Alex Hing, a sous chef at the Millennium One UN Plaza Hotel, also knows the importance of staying active with HTC. Alex has fond memories of the first political campaign HTC members worked on to get Daniel Squadron elected to the State Senate. Squadron is still in the Senate and among the many politicians who support HTC because, as Hing points out, “we supported them”.

While one team of members met with Squadron, Hing and five other HTC members met with staff in the office of Assembly Member Jo Anne Simon of AD 52 in Brooklyn. One of Hing’s fellow members spoke about raising her two children below an illegal tenant using a neighboring apartment to run a prostitution ring. As more and more strangers gained access to her building via Airbnb, the once homey building grew more anonymous and more treacherous for her family. “It was a very sad story,” recalls Hing. “The staff member thanked us and I think it really hit home.”     

Another team worked to address lawmakers outside of the Senate Chambers to spread the word about the importance of supporting the bill in the Senate. Members from several shops, including the Doubletree, the Millennium Broadway, the Viceroy, the Roosevelt and the Alex Hotels passed out printed information to several Senators and their staff.

Never Let Up

Mick Wanamaker of the Le Parker Meridien has been participating in the union’s political activities for several years. Wanamaker admitted that volunteering with HTC at first made him nervous. “But after practice and training from the union, it got to be fun,” he says.

Mick and his teammates spoke with State Senator Diane Savino of Staten Island for over 20 minutes. Assembly Member Ron Kim of Flushing and staff members of State Senator Betty Little from SD 45 also heard from Wanamaker and his group. Each agreed about the importance a bill like this would have in reducing the damage to the home lives of working families.

For Mick, going to Albany was also about demonstrating to lawmakers HTC’s smart political “ground game”.

“We are truly grass roots and our union is very special in this regard,” he said. “At City Hall and in Albany, they know that we know what we’re doing; that we’re there to help people who are supportive of us. And they are very responsive.”

All in all, the mission to reach lawmakers was accomplished. Insiders in Albany were deeply impressed with the HTC operation. Jason Ortiz, HTC Political Director, was very pleased with the results. “The lobby day was an absolute success, and that’s because of the fantastic turnout from HTC members,” he said. “Our union is unique because of the members’ strong commitment in the political process, which is always noticed by elected officials across the state.” 

But the fight against Airbnb is not over. Another group of HTC members and staff were set to go back to Albany to talk to more Assembly Members and Senators. With a vote on the bill likely soon, our union is doubling down in our effort to win the support of elected officials. Jason Ortiz believes this is the key to our success. “The key is to keep up the engagement and never let up until we win.” The members of our union clearly agree!

(Editor’s note: Dana Steer, the author of this article, is an HTC member who is employed at the Viceroy Hotel.)