Hundreds of statewide labor activists joined with community leaders and local residents to call on Hollander-Marriott and all Greater Tacoma low-paying, taxpayer-money-taking companies to fuel an economic recovery with good jobs. Washington State JwJ is a leading force calling for responsible development, which led to this event as the largest local worker rights action in recent memory. Radio and corporate print media more than noticed.
Hollander-Marriott purchased their downtown Courtyard site at a “deep discount” from taxpayers, snatched waterfront-mountain views from the taxpayer’s Convention Center, and “brutalized” the architecture of Tacoma taxpayer-financed luxury renaissance, according to the press. The City Council agreed to this in the name of jobs as Hollander-Marriott made promises to the Mayor, Council, and residents and their unions.
But Hollander-Marriott “went back on their word” to pay living wages, hire locally, and abide by a labor harmony agreement, according to former Mayor Baarsma. Hollander built the downtown Marriott using Canadian workers earning poverty-wages. The hotel continues to operate without providing affordable family health care and living wages to Tacoma workers. The hotel industry is staffed by many immigrant workers often intimidated from exercising rights to organize for better conditions.
Meanwhile, residents face poverty-level unemployment and climbing crime rates in the neighboring Tacoma communities that expected job opportunities at the Downtown Marriott. Recently, the City Council also gave more tax-payer subsidies to Hollander-Marriott for yet another downtown project without holding it accountable for unfulfilled promises or a good jobs standard at this new Thea Foss site despite community requests. While rejecting these standards, one prominent Council member urged a unanimous vote to show corporate investors that the City “was open for business” in the same way it blew up the prior bubble economy.
A delegation of religious and community leaders visited with hotel managers during the rally to discuss a hotel worker Bill of Rights. JwJ Executive Board rep to the faith community and delegation participant Nora Leider reported that local hotel management stopped talking when a regional manager appeared. When asked when managers might respond to the Bill of Rights, the regional manager was walking away and with his back to the delegation said, “you already have it.”
Jobs with Justice is supporting UNITE HERE Local 8’s hotel worker campaign for living wages, affordable family healthcare, and a voice at work in Tacoma’s hospitality industry. The call for economic recovery with new good jobs should be linked to the kinds of corporate projects that local governments stimulate with our tax-dollars. WA State JwJ recently voted to continue its long-term priority to link government subsidized corporate development to fair job standards and workforce housing.
This event sent a message to the hotel industry, all low-wage paying bosses, and Tacoma City Council that we are holding them to more fair job standards. We expect them to take leadership and join with us in making corporate welfare transparent and accountable. So far, Hollander-Marriott, other industry leaders, and Council-members have been resistant to civil negotiations.
We want an economic recovery that benefits everyone. Unless downtown growth is tied to good jobs, why should the community carry the tax burden for corporate profits? Murano hotel workers won living wages and affordable family health care despite an encroaching anti-worker hotel industry because they united and got community support. All hotels including the Downtown Marriott-Hollander should match the job standards set at the Murano. Marriott-Hollander is the leading non-union local hotel corporation and they can do the right thing. Since the City Council has invested our tax-dollars in the Downtown Marriott-Hollander and other downtown corporations, it can take leadership in setting higher job standards.
