Mayor Martin Walsh joined members of Boston’s hospitality union, Local 26, and executives from several local hotels yesterday to celebrate the graduation of the first African-American hospitality training class from Local 26’s Best Corp Hospitality Training Center. At the event, Local 26 announced that the class would be named the “Mel King Empowerment Program” in honor of longtime community activist and former state legislator Mel King.
“I commend Local 26 hotel workers for standing up for fairness and equality for all of Boston’s residents,” Walsh said. “Together, the union and their hotel employer partners are making strides to ensure that people of color have access to life-changing career paths in the hotel industry.”
The class is a four-week “Intro to Hospitality” training that includes job shadowing at several of the best hotels in Boston. After graduates complete the class, Local 26 works with hotels to place graduates into hotel jobs.
“Union hotel jobs are good jobs, with low-cost full-coverage healthcare, high wages, and a pension,” said Brian Lang, President of Local 26. “We know that forming a partnership with the best hotel employers in New England to recruit, train and hire African Americans is good for the hospitality industry and is good for the neighborhoods of Boston. We’re proud to see members of the first graduating class start their union jobs this month.”
Local 26 negotiated diversity language into its contracts with 29 Boston area hotels after noticing a decline in African-American representation in the hospitality industry. Local 26’s “Best Corp Hospitality Training Center” coordinates with the hotels on a training class for African Americans.
“I’ve been a cook for more than 25 years, but it’s always been a struggle to make ends meet,” said Bobby Oliver, 49, a resident of Dorchester who graduated from the class last month. “During the hospitality training class, I was able to shadow employees at the Westin Waterfront, and now I’ve got an interview with the General Manager. Getting a union job with higher wages and benefits will really change the lives of my three kids.”
Local 26 represents 7,000 workers in the hospitality industries in the Greater Boston Area. Members include workers of hotels, restaurants, university dining services, the Boston Convention Centers, Fenway Park and Logan International Airport.
Fenway Park Food Workers Vote In New Union Agreement
Workers who staff Fenway Park’s food operations ratified a new union contract this month. The 5-year agreement with food service provider Aramark and UNITE HERE Local 26 locks in financial gains including a 3% wage increase annually, improved incentives and bonuses for good attendance to staff Sox games, new holidays, and a 401(k) plan. The final tally was 440 “yes” votes to 22 “no” votes.
“We are glad to have been able to come to an agreement with Aramark. In Boston, we get things done, and we don’t cut corners,” said UNITE HERE Local 26 President Brian Lang.
Aramark representatives met with a robust committee of workers representing the fine dining establishments, retail outlets, concessions and beer stands, vendors, and warehouse. During 4-months of negotiations both sides committed to bargaining sessions that often left them leaving the Park at midnight or later.
“We had great turn out for the vote and it was awesome to see our hard work lead to a stronger contract with real economic gains,” said Third Floor Roof Deck Beer Seller and Bargaining Committee Member Kristen Meagher.
The new deal includes improved incentives for attendance. Workers gained a new tier of incentive pay for working a large number of games and events. Those who work every single home Red Sox game will receive a “perfect attendance” bonus.
The contract features a 401(k) retirement plan, savings on MBTA passes and parking, and significant financial gains of 3% a year. A busser, for example, will go from $13.75 an hour to $15.96. New hires will earn the full union wage faster, leading to a 14.5% wage increase for those entering their third season in 2015.
There were also changes made to anticipate more work off-season staffing events at Fenway Park. Paid holidays are now included in the off-season, and workers who average 25 hours a week will be able to enroll in a healthcare plan through the company. All workers at the park will be eligible for training to pick up shifts if needed in the growing catering and event-hosting operation.
“What could be better than a union job overlooking the Red Sox playing at Fenway Park?” said concessions grill cook Alan Page.
Bay State Banner: Initiative trains black workers for Boston-area hotel jobs
Mayor Martin Walsh joined members of Boston’s hospitality union, Local 26, and executives from several local hotels yesterday to celebrate the graduation of the first African-American hospitality training class from Local 26’s Best Corp Hospitality Training Center. At the event, Local 26 announced that the class would be named the “Mel King Empowerment Program” in honor of longtime community activist and former state legislator Mel King.
“I commend Local 26 hotel workers for standing up for fairness and equality for all of Boston’s residents,” Walsh said. “Together, the union and their hotel employer partners are making strides to ensure that people of color have access to life-changing career paths in the hotel industry.”
The class is a four-week “Intro to Hospitality” training that includes job shadowing at several of the best hotels in Boston. After graduates complete the class, Local 26 works with hotels to place graduates into hotel jobs.
“Union hotel jobs are good jobs, with low-cost full-coverage healthcare, high wages, and a pension,” said Brian Lang, President of Local 26. “We know that forming a partnership with the best hotel employers in New England to recruit, train and hire African Americans is good for the hospitality industry and is good for the neighborhoods of Boston. We’re proud to see members of the first graduating class start their union jobs this month.”
Local 26 negotiated diversity language into its contracts with 29 Boston area hotels after noticing a decline in African-American representation in the hospitality industry. Local 26’s “Best Corp Hospitality Training Center” coordinates with the hotels on a training class for African Americans.
“I’ve been a cook for more than 25 years, but it’s always been a struggle to make ends meet,” said Bobby Oliver, 49, a resident of Dorchester who graduated from the class last month. “During the hospitality training class, I was able to shadow employees at the Westin Waterfront, and now I’ve got an interview with the General Manager. Getting a union job with higher wages and benefits will really change the lives of my three kids.”
Local 26 represents 7,000 workers in the hospitality industries in the Greater Boston Area. Members include workers of hotels, restaurants, university dining services, the Boston Convention Centers, Fenway Park and Logan International Airport.
Local 26 Members
Boston Globe: Hospitality Union Recruits African-American Workers
The training program is the central component of an effort by Unite Here Local 26, the hospitality workers’ union, to reach out to the African-American community to fill jobs that offer good wages and benefits. The initiative aims to expand the diversity of hotel workforces, increasingly dominated by immigrants, and meet the growing demand in the industry for employees who are fluent in English. Local 26 is taking a progressive approach to dealing with the economic disparities facing African-Americans, said Tito Jackson, a Boston councilor who used his connections with the black community to recruit trainees for the program.
“There is a very long history of African-American workers in that industry, but as of late we have seen a lot less,” he said. “This program is a workforce development and job-preparedness program that really gives people the skills, the confidence, as well as the opportunity to open the doors of jobs where they can take care of their family.”
Boston Passes Strong Trust Act
The Greater Boston Labor Council worked closely with a number of its affiliated unions and a host of Boston-based immigrant rights advocates in lobbying the Trust Act ordinance through the Boston City Council, which unanimously passed the Boston Trust Act in August.
Brian Lang, the president of UNITE HERE Local 26, whose union helped spearhead the effort to protect immigrant workers, praised Walsh and the Boston City Council.