Workers at 10 San Francisco hotels this week returned to work as the hotels and the local Unite Here branch of the AFL-CIO agreed to a 60-day cooling off period, ending a lockout that had kept 4,000 workers off the job since early October
(BTNonline, Oct. 5). During the cooling off period, buyers do not have to be concerned about lapses in service or that their travelers will have to cross a picket line to enter the hotel. Mayor Gavin Newsom was responsible for negotiating the short-term settlement.
Four Seasons, Fairmont, Omni, Sheraton, Westin and Holiday Inn were among the properties that locked employees out. Employees initially had struck an additional four local hotels, including the Hilton and InterContinental, over health benefits, workload and contract timing issues.