Hi all,
I'm excited to hear that there is still a dialogue around some of the issues of the conference location. I just wanted to weigh in, once more, because I've been somewhat troubled by the AAG arrangements set up with non-Union hotels. Though the main conference hotel (the Hilton) is a union hotel with a good contract, Hotel Nikko and The Marker are both non-Union in a hospitality market that is overwhelmingly unionized. Though there are no current labor disputes at these hotels, I am disappointed that the AAG would partner with non-Union hotels not only for room discounts but for the use of conference rooms. As I mentioned in an earlier email, over 90 percent of the major hotels in San Francisco are unionized and these non-Union boutique hotels operate under-the-radar with the effect of driving down working standards for everyone.
I should also mention that though there are no current labor disputes at either hotel, there is no guarantee that there won't be come April. No one wants to be woken up by bullhorns at 6 am.
I encourage everyone to avoid these non-Union hotels if possible, and to consider using the fair hotels tool during your search.
Thanks,
Caroline Keegan
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