Local 856 wins 2-day strike at 16 hotels

October 2003

Teamsters Local 856 members employed at 16 hotels across San Francisco unanimously voted to accept their new contract on September 17, but it took a two-day strike earlier in the month to get a proposal they could support.

In addition to holding on-going informational pickets over the last six months, in August, more than 350 members of the Teamsters , Hotel Employees (HERE), and United Food and Commercial Workers marched in front of the Stanford Court and the Huntington Hotel on Nob Hill.

Leading the march were presidential candidate Dick Gephardt, Local 856 Secretary Treasurer Mike McLaughlin, HERE General President John Wilhelm, and IBT Vice- President Chuck Mack. All addressed the assembled members at a rally following the march.

At issue in these negotiations were employer-paid medical and retiree health benefits. If the hotels succeeded in wrestling current coverage away from the Teamsters, this would be on the agenda for upcoming negotiations with HERE Local 2 and Stationery Engineers Local 39, which also have this benefit.

When bargaining resumed after the strike, the union was able to maintain fully-paid employer- based health benefits through the life of the agreement. "We also moved the expiration date for the next contract to June-something we've been trying to do since 1967- giving us greater leverage for our talks next time," said Local 856 Secretary- Treasurer Mike McLaughlin.

Local 856 represents 800 front desk, accounting, concierge and other clerical employees at these 16 hotels, and at several others. The union will begin contract negotiations with the other hotels in December.

"Our members were great, but I really want to thank HERE Local 2 as well," adds McLaughlin. "Their support was key to our success."