COMMUNITY RALLIES TO SAVE JOBS AT LA PLAYA HOTEL

Carmel, CA.  More than 400 area hotel workers and their community supporters rallied July 20th, August 9th, and August 17th in support of La Playa Hotel workers who are seeking to protect their jobs in the event of a change in ownership.

At the Save Our Jobs Rallies, sponsored by UNITE HERE Local 483, participants joined a picket line in front of La Playa Hotel with protest signs and chanting, followed by a march and speeches by hotel workers and community supporters. 

La Playa Hotel is for sale, and ownership has thus far refused to honor its long-time workers with a guarantee that they continue in their jobs after the hotel sells.  This gesture of basic respect toward workers is common in the hotel industry.  On the Monterey Bay alone, the Monterey Beach Resort, Bay Park Hotel, Hyatt Regency Monterey, Highlands Inn, Hilton Garden Inn Monterey, Lodge at Pebble Beach, Quail Lodge, and Santa Cruz Dream Inn all have contractual obligations to protect workers’ jobs in the event of a hotel sale.  In fact, the owner of La Playa Hotel, the Cope family, has made this same commitment to protect its hotel workers at the Huntington Hotel in San Francisco.

“I’ve worked here for 32 years.  Now that’s loyalty.  La Playa workers believe we should get some loyalty back from Mr. Cope to protect our jobs,” said bartender Noe Hinojosa.

The workers’ union and La Playa ownership are currently in contract negotiations, which present an opportunity for an agreement regarding job protections in case the hotel is sold.  There are 90 bargaining unit workers at La Playa Hotel, including housekeeping, laundry, bell, front desk, dining, kitchen, grounds, and maintenance workers.

The next community rally to support the workers at La Playa Hotel is scheduled for Thursday, September 1st at 5 p.m.