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The HEAT SYSTEM
HEAT: Hotel Employees Action Team. The HEAT SYSTEM is our union's rank-and-file leadership organization.
A union is only as strong as its members
Our union will never have as much money or resources as the companies we take on. Our power comes from our ability to take collective action and unite our 40,000 members to protect our interests and demand better wages, benefits, and conditions for hotel and gaming workers.
The HEAT SYSTEM is our union's rank-and-file leadership organization. We deploy the HEAT SYSTEM to teach members about the threats facing our union and mobilize them to take action.
The HEAT SYSTEM mobilizes members to fight against threats to our union. Above, hundreds of union members rally against short-term rentals on platforms like Airbnb, which threaten the livelihoods and communities of 40,000 hotel workers.
HEAT Organizers
In addition to a Business Agent, who represents members facing discipline and enforces the contract, HTC members are also represented by a HEAT Organizer who is on staff at the union. HEAT Organizers coordinate the work of the HEAT SYSTEM in each hotel, club, and casino. It's the HEAT Organizer's job to recruit and train HEAT CAPTAINS, teach members about the threats facing our union, and turn out volunteers to hundreds of events each year.
Meet your HEAT Organizer
Before joining staff, many HEAT Organizers were hotel and casino workers themselves. They were active volunteers and effective delegates, who gave up their union jobs to work long hours because they believe in the mission of the union and want to be a part of changing the lives of hospitality workers for generations to come.
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Watching management
The HEAT SYSTEM is the union's eyes and ears inside of each hotel, club, and casino. If management does something that might affect the strength of our union, the union leadership needs to be made aware. The HEAT SYSTEM is an organized network that allows union members to report to the union what management is saying and doing.
Turning up the HEAT: Contract fights
How do we convince management to give workers more money and more power? Management doesn't sign a union contract because they want to, and they definitely don't do it out of the goodness of their hearts. They do it because our union makes them.
Ultimately, management cares about one thing: their bottom line. During every contract negotiation, we need to make management realize it will cost them more money to fight us than it will cost them to sign the union contract. That means we must make sure that management sees that we are serious and ready to strike if they refuse to sign a fair contract. We do this by appointing HEAT CAPTAINS, assembling HEAT TEAMS, and activating every single union member.
HEAT CAPTAINS
Each HEAT TEAM is built around one union member, the HEAT CAPTAIN.
The role of a HEAT CAPTAIN
HEAT CAPTAINS are responsible for regularly communicating with their HEAT Organizers, assembling a HEAT TEAM of 10-15 coworkers, mobilizing their HEAT TEAM to attend union events and picket lines, and volunteering with our union for at least 24 hours each year.
Becoming a HEAT CAPTAIN
HEAT CAPTAINS are appointed by the President of the union. If you are interested in leading as a HEAT CAPTAIN, contact your HEAT Organizer.
HEAT TEAMS
Each HEAT TEAM consists of 10-15 union members.
Activating your HEAT TEAM
HEAT TEAM members are expected to maintain regular communication with their HEAT CAPTAIN, support and attend union actions, and notify the union about anything management says regarding contract negotiations.
Joining a HEAT TEAM
HEAT CAPTAINS invite their coworkers to be on their HEAT TEAM. If you are not on a HEAT TEAM or you don’t know who your HEAT CAPTAIN is, call the union and ask to speak with your HEAT Organizer.
The start of the HEAT SYSTEM
The HEAT SYSTEM was created in preparation for our citywide contract negotiations in 2006. Leading up to that contract fight, 27,000 union members came together under the HEAT SYSTEM. 90% of our membership joined a HEAT TEAM, and 2,700 members served as HEAT CAPTAINS.
2,700 members served as HEAT CAPTAINS
90% of our membership joined a HEAT TEAM
Management watched us build this power and knew that we were prepared to fight for a fair contract. Largely because of the work of the HEAT SYSTEM, we came out of 2006 contract negotiations with the strongest contract for hotel workers in the world – without a strike.
HEAT is now a permanent part of our union
In the years since 2006, we have kept HEAT alive as a way to educate and mobilize our members. Thousands of active members have continued to fight for our union, and thousands of new members have joined them. Because of these members participating in union actions, diligently enforcing our contracts, and building our political influence, today, we have the strongest union and best contracts in the world for hotel and gaming workers.
Since 2006, we have played a hand in electing hundreds of pro-labor politicians and passed laws that protect our jobs. We have grown our ranks and welcomed over 10,000 new members. We have protected our contract rights by resolving tens of thousands of grievances and maintained our reputation as tough and unwavering with the industry. All of this is done in an effort to keep building our power so that we can continue to win strong contracts and keep improving the lives of hotel and gaming workers.
Get involved
Show up to a HTC rally, attend member trainings, knock on doors to support pro-union candidates, and more.
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