Newsfeed
Winter 2022Reopening news
All of the union casinos and most union clubs and 246 union hotels are now open, with 96 union hotels reopening over the last year.
NYC passes law requiring hotels with 100+ rooms to reopen by November 1st, 2021 or pay $500 a week in severance. To date 24 hotels have reopened because of the bill, recalling over 2,000 members.
NYC occupancy reaches record high since the start of pandemic in November 2021 at 71%. It marks the first time when more than 50% of HTC members are back at work since March 2020.
Legal and enforcement victories
HTC’s legal and negotiating team negotiates 33 contracts and contract extensions in 2021, including 13 contracts for new union shops.
20 new assumption agreements are signed in 2021, protecting our members’ jobs when ownership or management changes and keeping the contract in place.
To date, the union’s legal team wins every single case against hotels attempting to eliminate daily room cleanings and cut jobs.
Union’s contract enforcement team resolves over 2,500 grievances in 2021.
COVID-19 relief programs
Over 4,300 COVID-19 booster vaccines (and counting!) are distributed at union health centers.
January 19, 2022: Union health centers begin distributing free at-home COVID-19 tests to active participants in the Benefit Funds.
HTC President Rich Maroko works with Governor Hochul to secure a quarter of a billion dollars to help hotel workers and revive tourism in the state.
An estimated 20,000 tourism workers qualify for $2,750 relief checks from NY State - including thousands of HTC members.
Union H.E.L.P. Fund gives $1,000 grants to 214 members facing eviction and foreclosure.
January 3, 2022: New York State launches the Homeowner’s Assistance Fund to provide financial assistance and legal help to homeowners facing foreclosure due to COVID-19 crisis.
Laid off members look for temporary work. Union assists 684 members with writing their resumes.
Free Computer Skills and English classes are offered by the union, enrolling over 300 members last Fall and 150 members this Winter.
Job Search portal launched on the union website, assisting over 2,000 members search for temporary work outside of the industry.
NY Gov. Hochul proposes accelerating table game licensing for three casinos in the NYC region this year, providing new potential job opportunities for laid-off hotel workers. In response, our Industry Training Program approves providing casino dealer trainings
Political wins
Over 500 members get out the vote during 2021 primaries and general elections.
HTC volunteers knock on 553 doors on election day!
HTC’s picks for NYC Mayor, Eric Adams, and NJ Governor, Phil Murphy, win their elections!
80% of City Council Candidates endorsed by the union win their elections.
December 2021: NYC passes law requiring special permits for hotel development, a huge step in stopping the overdevelopment of hotels in the City
NYC Council votes 42 to 5 require Airbnb hosts to register with the City’s Office of Special Enforcement in another major step toward preventing illegal hotels
January 18, 2022: New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signs into law important new legal safeguards for New Jersey hotel workers and people traveling to the State.
Organizing victories
24 newly organized shops in 2021 — over 750 new workers represented by HTC!
162 workers at the new LEGOLAND Theme Park and Resort in Goshen, NY are now represented by our union!
Union benefits
1,163 members celebrate their retirement in 2021!
Nearly 100 children of members submit entries to the union’s 2021 Writing Contest, with 7 essays chosen as winners.
The Vito J. Pitta and Division A Scholarship programs begin accepting applications for 2022.
HTC in the news
Bloomberg News - NYC Hotel Workers Seize Political Influence at Key Moment for City’s Recovery: “The Hotel and Gaming Trades Council, the city’s hotel union, has spent the last 18 months pushing for Covid-19 safety protections and severance pay for its roughly 37,000 members in New York and New Jersey, while strategically backing politicians who it believes will prove future allies. It’s never been more politically potent, even as it comes off the worst period in its history.”
City & State New York - The 2021 New York City Labor Power 100: “Rich Maroko: As a political force, the Hotel Trades Council punches above its weight class, as demonstrated by New York City Democratic mayoral nominee Eric Adams’ expression of gratitude to his first major endorser."
Politico - Adams Winds Down Campaign With Unions That Boosted Him Throughout: “Adams has already indicated support for some of [HTC’s] priorities, including a land use policy the hotel union has long pushed for and a plan to convert outer borough hotels into affordable housing.”
New Jersey Globe - 2021 Power List “Rich Maroko: This union leader from Montclair represents over 40,000 hotel employees and is a close ally of Gov. Phil Murphy.”
The Daily News - Hochul Gets Nod From Powerful Hotel Workers Union in First Big Endorsement of Race: “The powerful hotel workers union is planning to put its political might behind Gov. Hochul for her re-election bid next year — the first major union endorsement in the governor’s race so far.”
A look back at 2021:
February: HTC advocates for hotel workers to be recognized as essential workers and get early access to the COVID-19 vaccine. The Harlem Health Center reopens as a vaccination site.
March: Our union works with New York Senator Schumer to make sure free COBRA is included in the American Rescue Plan. As a result, nearly 10,000 union members and their families re-enrolled in our healthcare plan and the Brooklyn Health Center can reopen.
Election Season: Over 500 union members knock on doors and phone bank for union-backed candidates including NYC Mayor Eric Adams and NJ Governor Phil Murphy.
October: NYC passes law requiring closed hotels with 100+ rooms to reopen by Nov. 1 and recall at least 25% of workers or pay $500/ week to laid off workers. In response, 24 hotels reopen, recalling over 2,000 members.
November: Union ally Eric Adams wins the NYC mayoral election in a landslide. HTC was the first labor union to endorse Adams and our members showed up in full force to get out the vote.
Our union launches programs to assist members with their job search, writing resumes for over 680 members and creating a job search portal on our website.
November: After speaking with Pres. Maroko, NY Governor Kathy Hochul launches the Tourism Worker Recovery Fund, which provides $2,750 relief checks to eligible hotel workers and allocates millions to revive the hospitality industry.
November: For the first time since the start of this crisis, over 50% of our membership is back to work with 246 union hotels, as well as all of the union casinos and most clubs, back open.
During the most unbelievably difficult time to negotiate, our union wins 33 contracts in 2021, including 13 first HTC contracts!
HTC’s organizing team organizes 24 new hotels and casinos in 2021, welcoming 750 new members into the union.
December: New York City passes law requiring special permits for new hotel development, a major step toward stopping the rampant overdevelopment of hotels.
Our allies in New Jersey passed a law requiring hotels that change ownership to keep workers employed for at least 90 days. The law also protects guests by requiring hotels to notify them of picket lines and offer full refunds.