Thursday, January 07, 2010

ALA AND THE San Francisco MARRIOT BOYCOTT- 2001

ON ALA AND THE MARRIOT BOYCOTT

WHEREAS, the American Library Association selected the San Francisco Marriott Hotel as its convention headquarters hotel for its annual conference held in San Francisco in June 2001; and

WHEREAS, the San Francisco Marriott Hotel had agreed it would not interfere with workers' right to unionize when it was given permission by the City to build on its land in 1980: and

WHEREAS, since 1996, when Local 2 was selected by a majority of Marriott employees to represent them, over 120 negotiating session have been held and still there is no labor agreement in place; and

WHEREAS, in September 2000, Local 2 called for a boycott of the San Francisco Marriott Hotel, which is supported by the Mayor, most of the Board of supervisors and other elected officials as well as many community and religious leaders; now therefore be it

RESOLVED, that SRRT supports the cause of the restaurant workers of Local 2 and the organized boycotters of the San Francisco Marriott Hotel and that it decries ALA's indifference to the boycott in its choice of conference hotel and subsequent conference arrangements.

RESOLVED, that SRRT calls on the American Library Association to formally express its regret for having made the San Francisco Marriott the central conference hotel without taking heed of the well- publicized and widely-supported boycott of the Marriott Hotel organized by the San Francisco labor movement and other supporters.

RESOLVED, that SRRT calls on ALA to alter its policy to provide for re-evaluation of contracts in light of labor conflicts, strikes and boycotts which arise, and which may form the basis for cancellation of arrangements.

RESOLVED that SRRT urges ALA to alter its policy to exclude holding
conferences in non-union hotels (i.e.ones where the majority of workers are unorganized) and to preclude locating any future conferences in so-called "right-to-work" states where workers rights to collective bargaining are not recognized.

RESOLVED that SRRT calls for an immediate resolution by Marriott of all outstanding issues and full recognition of the rights of all its workers and calls upon ALA to make it clear that bad labor practices in any unit of a chain will influence conference location decision choices with respect to hotels in the whole chain.

Moved by Mark Rosenzweig
Seconded by Al Kagan
Passed Unanimously by Action Council II June 18, 2001
ALA 2001. "Resolutions passed at Annual." SRRT Newsletter, 136, 2.

See also post with summary by former ALA President, Mitch Freedman.

====
FYI, re 2001 Marriott Boycott. From Library Juice/ 4:23 - June 27, 2001

5. Andrea Grimes' report from the frontlines of the Marriott Boycott

23 June 2001

Dear Friends,

This is a report from the frontlines of the ALA Conference/Marriott Boycott.
Part of this report first appeared in lisnews.com. Please see that site for
protest button and sticker. This report was compiled by the Local 790
Librarians' Caucus Liaison, Andrea Grimes.

Friday, June 15: THE CONFERENCE BEGINS

6:00 Day One of Local 2's Siege: protest/picket line begins, at SF
Marriott Hotel. Local 2 has scheduled two all-day actions at the Marriott,
for Friday and Saturday, June 15-16, from 6:00am-10:00pm. ALL LIBRARY
WORKERS AND CONFERENCE ATTENDEES INVITED TO JOIN WITH LOCAL 2 IN PROTESTING
THE MARRIOTT AND ALA. (This is the fifth siege within six months.)

Here's the text of the message that went out earlier this week:

ALA/MARRIOTT PROTESTS: SPREAD THE WORD

All librarians, library workers, conference attendees, and
everyone else who supports Local 2 are invited to join San
Francisco Bay Area library workers in three days of protests at
the San Francisco Marriott. >These actions are scheduled for the
following days: SIEGE V: TWO ALL-DAY PROTESTS: Friday and Saturday,
June 15 & 16, 6:00am - 10:00pm

SPECIAL ACTION: ALA AWARDS RECEPTION/INAUGURAL BANQUET: Tuesday,
June 19, 4:30pm - 7:30pm>THE INAUGURAL BANQUET ACTION IS A VERY
SPECIAL PROTEST AGAINST THE ACTIONS OF ALA LEADERSHIP, WHO HAVE
IGNORED THE PLEAS OF MEMBERS AND MARRIOTT WORKERS TO MOVE ALA
EVENTS OUT OF THE MARRIOTT.

Don't let Marriott and ALA think it's just business as usual.
Let's stand up for the Marriott workers, and all workers, who
struggle for a better life. We can do it! Come and join us on
these days of protest.

For more information on the SF Marriott labor troubles, see Local
2's boycott website at www.sfmarriottboycott.org>

9:00 Caucus liaison receives forwarded letter from Mitch Freedman,
ALA President-Elect, in which he gives his full support of the boycott
against Marriott, and protests directed against Marriott and ALA.

Mitch Freedman writes:

"I am writing this message to those 4,300+ people that voted for
me, as well as all other ALA members. I will not be attending the
ALA Inaugural Banquet, at which I was scheduled to be inaugurated
as President-Elect, 2001-2002. I will not be attending
the 3rd Executive Board meeting, the one I should attend as ALA
President-Elect.

"Although I was going to attend the ALA Awards presentations so
that I could be there for the presentation of the Lippincott Award
to one of my dearest friends, Patricia Glass Schuman, I will
not. Ms. Schuman is honoring the boycott and will not attend the
Awards ceremony, as are the recipient of the Equality Award, and
its donor, Scarecrow Press, who also will not attend. I have
been told by others scheduled to be inaugurated or receive awards that
they will not attend those events.

"I chose not to attend all three of these events, plus other
meetings to which I was invited or would have liked to attend,
because they are all being held in the Marriott Hotel.

"I am supporting the Hotel Employees and Restaurant
Employees (HERE), Local 2, call for a boycott of the Marriott
Hotel. For the following reasons, I made this decision:

"1. I chose to support the boycott request made by the San
Francisco Public Library Commission (the host library for
the convention), the mayor of San Francisco, Willie Brown,
and 9 of the 11 members of the Board of Supervisors. This
extraordinary confluence of support by public officials of the labor
side in this kind of dispute is unprecedented in my memory..."

The full text of Mitch Freedman's letter may be read on
lisnews.com:


9:20-14:30(approximate time) Local 790 Caucus members begin
leafletting incoming librarians at Moscone Center(outside
Registration). Stickers, reading "LIBRARIANS SUPPORT HOTEL
WORKERS! BOYCOTT MARRIOTT" are given to librarians. During this
time, some caucus members join the picket line at the Marriott.
Overall reception from librarians is very supportive.

16:30 Caucus members leaflet at Moscone Registration area.

17:00 ALA Staff, assisted by Moscone Security, force Caucus
members off the Moscone Center entrance way(sidewalk outside
Registration), and onto the "Free Speech Island," the outer
sidewalk away from Registration(citing Private Property ordinance).
Protests by Caucus members to ALA staff that this is city
property, that the Mayor of San Francisco has called this
boycott, fall on deaf ears. ALA itself seems to be deaf to the
principles of free speech!! The second irony of the conference
(the first being this year's theme: LIBRARIES: CORNERSTONE OF
DEMOCRACY).

17:00-18:30 Caucus members continue to leaflet and pass out
boycott stickers to librarians registering for conference, this
time on "Free Speech Island."

18:35-19:35 Caucus members join the picket line, along with West
Virginia librarian, Yvonne Farley, this year's Intellectual
Freedom Award winner, and other librarians.

"Don't check in-Check out!"

"San Francisco should beware:
Marriott Hotel is unfair!"

"Marriott Hotel-look around
San Francisco's a union town!"

(Local 2 chants)

22:00 Local 2 picket line stops for the evening. To be resumed
Saturday, June 16, at 6:00AM.

Later that evening: Local 790 Librarians' Caucus members receive
word that some ALA leaders have visited the editorial offices of
the San Francisco Chronicle. As yet, no newspaper reports from
that paper about the labor unrest at the Marriott.

That same evening, caucus members receive word that ALA conference
staff attempted to prevent Mayor Brown from speaking out in support
of the hotel workers. The Mayor is scheduled to speak at the Opening
General Session Saturday (Moscone Center).

Saturday, June 16

6:00-22:00 Day Two of Local 2's siege continues, at the Marriott.

This email message went out to library workers, conference
attendees, and supporters of the hotel workers:

PLEASE JOIN US IN ANOTHER DAY OF PROTEST. MANY OF YOUR COLLEAGUES
WILL PARTICIPATE IN THE PICKET LINE AFTER WORK TONIGHT, SO YOU'LL
HAVE THE SOLIDARITY OF LIBRARY WORKERS AND HOTEL WORKERS
PROTESTING TOGHETHER.

For more information on the Marriott struggle see Library Juice
at In particular, vol 4, 6/6 & 6/14.

P.S. JOIN LIBRARIANS FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTRY, ALONG WITH LOCAL
2 HOTEL WORKERS, FOR A VERY SPECIAL ACTION, JUST FOR ALA
LEADERSHIP, WHEN WE PROTEST ALA'S DISREGARD FOR WORKERS' RIGHTS,
ON THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING OF TUESDAY, JUNE 19. THIS IS THE
EVENING OF THE ALA AWARDS RECEPTION AND INAUGURAL BANQUET.
THE PROTEST IS SCHEDULED FOR 4:30PM -7:30PM, AT THE MARRIOTT.

THIS IS A GREAT TIME TO TELL ALL THOSE BIGSHOTS AT ALA THAT THEY
MADE A SERIOUS MISTAKE IN HEADQUARTERING AT THE MARRIOTT. THEIR
'LET THEM EAT CAKE' ATTITUDE IS ALREADY HAVING SERIOUS
REPERCUSSIONS!

ALA conference continues.

All through the day and into the evening: librarians from San
Francisco Bay Area and all over the U.S. join the picket line.

"Stop the threats, stop the lies
It's our right to organize!"

"Talking Union is our right!
We are here and ready to fight!"

"Marriott Hotel, rolling in the dough
Union bashing's got to go!"

(Local 2 chants)

No newspaper reports on the labor situation.

Sunday, June 17

ALA conference continues.

Protest flyer is made; goes out on email, calling on all library
workers and supporters of hotel workers to attend rally Tuesday,
June 19, 4:30 - 7:30PM

WE NEED YOU AT THE RALLY!
TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 4:30PM - 7:30PM

Please join President-Elect Mitch Freedman and library luminaries
for a very special action, at the San Francisco Marriott. This
protest, organized by librarians with the support of Local 2, is
in support of the hotel workers. We stand by Local 2 hotel
workers until they win a contract that guarantees fair working
conditions, family friendly benefits, and a real voice on the
job!

Despite pleas from ALA leaders, members, and Local 2, ALA refused
to move many events and meetings out of the Marriott. ALA refused
to accept free space at the San Francisco Public Library for the
last Executive Board meeting; and refused the President-Elect's
offer of an alternative (and less expensive) venue for the
Inaugural Banquet.

P R O T E S T A G A I N S T A L A A N D M A R R I O T T

WHAT: ALA Awards Reception/Inaugural Banquet
WHERE: San Francisco Marriott, 4th Street, (between Market and
Mission Streets)
WHEN: Tuesday, June 19, 4:30pm - 7:30pm

Here's a partial list of librarians, library groups, community
and religious leaders, who support the boycott against the SF Marriott:

Mitch Freedman, ALA President-Elect
Local 790 Librarians' Caucus
Progressive Librarians Guild
Elaine Harger, ALA Council, SRRT Action Council*
Virginia B. Moore, Martin Luther King Task Force, SRRT*
Sanford Berman
Social Responsibilities Round Table, Action Council Members:
Fred Stoss*, Al Kagan (SRRT Rept to ALA Council)*, Nel Ward*
Mark C. Rosenzweig, ALA Councilor-at-Large; SRRT Action Council*
University Council, American Federation of Teachers (UC-AFT)
Susan Hildreth, City Librarian, San Francisco Public Library
San Francisco Public Library Commission
Yvonne Farley, Librarian, Kanawha County Library, Virginia
(winner, ALA Intellectual Freedom Award)
Patricia Glass-Schuman (winner, Lippincott Award)
Michael Gorman, Director, Fresno State University Library
(winner, Highsmith Award)
Reverend Jesse Jackson, President, Rainbow/PUSH Coalition
Coretta Scott King, The King Center
Honorable Willie L. Brown, Mayor of San Francisco
Honorable Susan Leal, SF City Treasurer
Nine of eleven San Francisco Board of Supervisors
Honorable Jerry Brown, Mayor of Oakland
Honorable Nancy Pelosi, Member, US Congress
Honorable Barbara Lee, Member, US Congress
Honorable John Burton, President Pro-Temporare of CA State Senate
Dolores Huerta, Co-Founder, United Farm Workers, AFL-CIO
Arturo Rodriguez, United Farm Workers, AFL-CIO
Art Pulaski, Executive Secretary-Treasurer, CA Labor Federation
Reverend Cecil Williams, Glide United Methodist Chruch, SF
Walter Johnson, Secretary-Treasurer, SF Labor Council
Josie Mooney, Executive Director, SEIU Local 790; President SF Labor Council
Shirley Breyer Black, Consultant, SEIU Local 790
Father Bill O'Donnell, St. Joseph the Worker Church
Father Peter Sammon, St. Theresa's Catholic Church
Susan Sachen, Western Regional Director, AFL-CIO Organizing Institute
A. Philip Randolph Institute
Senior Action Network
Northern CA Coalition for Immigrant Rights
SF Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance
Labor Council for Latin American Advancement
Harvey Milk Democratic Club
Chinese Progressive Association
Nihomachi Legal Outreach
Labor Project for Working Families
Instituto Familia de la Raza

*Affiliation listed for identification purposes only and not for
organizational endorsement purposes.

18:30 Nicholson Baker lecture at the Weston St. Francis. Mr.
Baker is introduced by Progressive Librarians' Guild member,
Melissa Riley, and President-Elect Mitch Freedman. In a side note
to audience, Mitch Freedman reiterates his support of the hotel
workers, and explains why he is unable to attend ALA Awards
Reception /Inauguration Banquet and last Executive Board meeting.
He also tells audience that serious attempts were made by the
President-Elect and SFPL City Librarian, Susan Hildreth to help
ALA move these events out of the Marriott. ALA has never fully
explained its reasoning for refusing these requests. The
Inauguration was offered a less expensive venue, and the
Executive Board was offered free space at the San Francisco
Public Library.

No newspaper reports on the labor situation.

Monday, June 18

ALA conference continues.

Local 790 Librarians' Caucus are alerted to ALA cheet sheet,
which was put together for leadership. This cheet sheet covers a
number of issues, where talking points for reporters' questions
are outlined. Two talking points are of particular interest: ALA
administration attempts to discredit Nicholson Baker; the other
talking point tries to reduce the Marriott labor troubles to a
minor annoyance, not worthy of serious attention.

No newspaper reports on the labor situation.

Tuesday, June 19

ALA conference continues.

9:00-10:00 ALA President Nancy Kranich appears as guest of
Michael Krasny on his radio show, Forum. KQED 88.5 FM. First
caller of the morning expresses dismay at ALA's use of Marriott
as conference headquarters. Kranich says "we're deeply concerned,
but we've had the contract since 1997, and it would have been too
expensive to move elsewhere." On Nicholson Baker (I'm
paraphrasing, but this the essence): "The technology is different
than fifty years ago...Librarians have always been interested
in access, so give them a break....Anybody knows that if you
take a newspaper to the beach it will fall apart." Yawn.

16:00 Special protest organized by librarians and Local 2 begins
at Marriott's front door. Close to one hundred protestors
chanting, shouting, banging drums, lots of whistles, waving
signs: "NO CONTRACT NO PEACE;" "LIBRARIANS SUPPORT HOTEL
WORKERS/BOYCOTT MARRIOTT." SF Police presence for the first time
at conference.

17:45 (approximate time) Speeches of support for the hotel
workers, by Michael Gorman, Patricia Glass Schuman, Doris Seale,
and Mitch Freedman.

18:00 Protest continues.

"Ain't no power like the power of the people and
the power of the people won't stop, SAY WHAT!"

"Escucha, Escucha
Estamos en la lucha!"

"Union-YES!
Marriott-NO!
Union bashing's got to go!

"Marriott Hotel-You're no good!
Sign a contract like you should!"

(Local 2 chants)

18:15 (approximate time) Seven protestors enter the Marriott
carrying protest signs (mostly hidden from view of Marriott
management). After being directed to the wrong floor, the
protestors find their way to the sub-basement, where they are
helpfully directed by a party-goer to the banquet hall. On the
way, one of Marriott's managers spots protesters and follows them
to the salon where Marie Antoinette's friends are congratulating
themselves and whooping it up. Now confronted by seven mute
protestors holding signs (LIBRARIANS SUPPORT HOTEL WORKERS!
BOYCOTT MARRIOTT!) in full view of these ALA "leaders,"
Marriott's managers hit the panic button, and call on Local 2's
lead organizer to reason with protestors, to get them out of the
building. Protestors refuse to leave, and (now six) continue to
stand outside of salon. Protestors silently spoil what would have
been a perfect evening, being a reminder to ALA "leaders" of ALA's
shame in contracting with the Marriott. Protestors have made
Marriott management so nervous, that a server tells them ALL of
Marriott management is down there keeping an eye on things,
guarding the party people, and generally scurrying back and
forth, using their cell phones, constantly in touch with guards
and other managers. Marriott management shuts doors to party (it
must be getting a bit hot inside; some revelers step outside the
room...for air?). Protestors continue to stand outside salon.
The same server tells protesters that party people will leave
salon to go into the banquet salon around the corner and down the
hall. ALA VIPs file out of salon (Awards Reception), met by
sign-holding protestors: party people look embarrassed and
uncomfortable, sometimes blank-faced, as they are escorted by
Marriott security into the next banquet salon. Protestors change
locations as party people go in and out of a series of doors, to
final banquet salon. Marriott management lock party people into
this last salon...for protection? Hundreds of people have now
been locked away from six protestors! Protestors leave, but not
before they flash protest signs to ALA staff, while riding up
escalator to the lobby, and out to a boisterous crowd of
librarians and Local 2 supporters, all of whom are chanting loudly.

Among the celebrated partygoers inside the Marriott:

Nancy Kranich, President of ALA, 2000-2001
John W. Berry, 2001-2002
William Gordon, Executive Director, ALA
Barbara Ford, Past President, ALA
Karen Schneider, Director of Technology, Shenendehowa PL, Clifton Park, NY
Kenneth Dowlin, Former Director, San Francisco Public Library
Blanche Wools, Dean, San Jose University Library School and Don Fadden,
formerly Director, Friends of the Scranton Public Library

No newspaper reports on the labor situation.

Wednesday, June 20

No newspaper reports on the labor situation.

Thursday, June 21

No newspaper reports on the labor situation.

Friday, June 22

This article appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle: "Riding out
the lean times: tourism industry brainstorms on ways to fill San
Francisco's suddenly quiet hotels."

"San Francisco has thousands of empty hotel rooms..."

See the story online at:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2001/06/22/BU175169.DTL

Otherwise, no newspaper reports on the labor situation.

For more documents of the Marriott struggle see these sites:

Library Juice
LISNEWS

Our grateful appreciation for the help of members of the
Progressive Librarians Guild; Social Responsibilities Round
Table; the real ALA leaders; Local 790 members; and librarians
from everywhere, who worked in solidarity with the Marriott Hotel
workers of Local 2. Special thanks to the following people:

Mark Rosenzweig
Elaine Harger
Fred Stoss
Sandy Berman
Judy Birket
Al Kagan
Virginia B. Moore
Nel Ward
Mitch Freedman
Rory Litwin
Jenna Freedman
Patricia Glass Schuman
Michael Gorman
Doris Seale
Susan Hildreth
Yvonne Farley
Cathy Bremer
Ruth Maginnis
Melissa Riley
Shannon Shepard
Donna Mandel
Sam Trosow
Roberta Frye
Tom Carey
Greg Kelly
Ellen Shatter
Jason Honig
Pam Osborn
Monika Antonelli
Herb and Mary Biblow
Zoia Horn
Susan Hayden
Rhonda Neugebauer
Charles Willett
Chuck D'Adamo
Rachelle Resnick
Adelaide Chen
Dave Glaser

ALA-YOU STARTED A FIRE YOU CAN'T PUT OUT!

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