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Emboldened by New Federal Scrutiny of Joint Employers, Subcontracted Housekeepers File Labor Law Charges Against Blackstone's Hilton-Owned Hotel, says UNITE HERE Local 11According to UNITE HERE Local 11, four subcontracted housekeepers filed unfair labor practice charges last week against the DoubleTree by Hilton Ontario Airport, owned by the Blackstone Group's Hilton Worldwide. This is the first effort by California temporary agency workers in the heavily-subcontracted hospitality industry to hold a joint employer accountable under new case law from the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). The four housekeepers filed charges with Region 31 of the NLRB alleging that the DoubleTree by Hilton Ontario Airport violated federal labor law by firing them for engaging in protected organizing activities. "We wear the same uniforms, have the same supervisors, and eat in the same cafeteria. We also suffer under harsh working conditions," said Maria Sanchez, one of the subcontracted housekeepers fired from the DoubleTree by Hilton. "I'm proud that I fild these charges and am standing up for my rights under federal law." Worker advocates have applauded a recent decision from the NLRB, known as Browning-Ferris, for strengthening the joint employer doctrine and bringing it in line with current subcontracting practices. The recent federal case law has made it easier for workers whose rights have been violated to hold accountable for those violations both the subcontracted firm, which is usually the worker's direct employer, and the employer who uses the subcontractor. When the NLRB issued the Browning-Ferris decision August 27, it noted that more than 2.87 million of the nation's workers were employed through temporary agencies as of August 2014. Blackstone Group is the world's largest private equity company and the largest hotel owner in the United States, owning 45% of Hilton Worldwide among other substantial hotel investments. UNITE HERE Local 11 represents more than 20,000 workers employed in hotels, restaurants, airports, sports arenas, and convention centers throughout Southern California. Learn more at www.unitehere11.org.
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