Dive Brief:
- Workers at Sofitel Lafayette Square in Washington, D.C., voted narrowly to decertify their union, according to a release obtained by Hotel Dive and National Labor Relations Board records.
- Some 31 hotel employees voted against the union — a unit of hospitality guild Unite Here Local 25 — while 29 were in favor, according to the National Labor Relations Board.
- Last year, union members accused the Accor-managed hotel of interference in union organizing and holding anti-union meetings, in a rally attended by several U.S. representatives. Last month, hotel workers nationwide held protests ahead of contracts expiring for approximately 40,000 people, including in Washington.
Dive Insight:
The vote at Sofitel Lafayette, tallied on June 6, included full-time and part-time bartenders, bellpeople, cocktail servers, dishwashers, front-office workers, cooks, servers and room attendants.
The National Right to Work Foundation, an organization that advocates for right-to-work laws, provided legal aid to Sofitel employee Mwandu Chibwe, who submitted the initial petition calling for a decertification vote on May 15.
NRTW said Unite Here officials organized Sofitel Lafayette’s union through a card check, rather than an anonymous vote. Card checks are a common and legal way to organize, though anti-union groups like NRTW claim the process can result in union leaders demanding workers sign cards. Unite Here did not respond to a Hotel Dive request for comment.
“I believe that the majority of my fellow employees actually oppose this union and don’t want union bosses trying to speak for them,” Chibwe said in a statement.
Workers at the hotel initially organized to combat a lack of affordable health insurance and wages that were insufficient to cover the cost of living in Washington, Unite Here shared last year.
At their rally in May 2023, hotel workers claimed Accor and the property’s owner, Brookfield Asset Management, had held mandatory anti-union meetings and threatened to change the schedule of the employee leading the union organizing effort.
U.S. Representatives Brendan Boyle (D-PA), Ro Khanna (D-CA) and Bennie Thompson (D-MS) spoke in support of the union at the rally. “Brookfield stands to benefit from billions in taxpayer subsidies. It should take a stance against anti-union bullying immediately,” said Rep. Boyle.
Last month, more than 1,000 hotel workers rallied in Washington to advocate for better wages and workloads, according to DC News Now.
