Twenty-two members of the Twin Cities Religion Labor Network held a 'pray-in' Tuesday in the lobby of the Grand Hotel in downtown Minneapolis to urge a fair contract for employees.
The group read prayers and stood in silence in the lobby for about 15 minutes before management asked them to leave. Owner Jeff Wirth was among those who witnessed the pray-in, participants said.
'We sent a clear message that the workers in the hotel have the support of the community and specifically the Twin Cities Religion Labor Network,' said the Rev. Doug Mork, pastor at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in St. Paul. The Religion Labor Network, a coalition of churches, unions and other groups, conducts 'pray-ins' and other activities, such as letterwriting, to support dignity and fair treatment of workers, he said.
The Grand Hotel was formerly the Minneapolis Athletic Club. Hotel Employees & Restaurant Employees Local 17 had a contract covering workers at the Athletic Club for several decades. Last year, Wirth closed down the building for remodeling and laid off the employees. They were recalled this summer when the building reopened as the Grand Hotel, but some are earning less than what they made under the previous contract, which expired June 1, said Nancy Goldman, Local 17 business agent.
Negotiations between the union and hotel management have been going on since March, with no resolution of outstanding issues such as wages, Goldman said.
Some of the lowest paid workers are women in their 60s and 70s who do laundry, she said. They earn $8 an hour.
The union is going to file unfair labor practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board to protest what it sees as discriminatory treatment of employees who have been long-term union members, said Jaye Rykunyk, principal officer of Local 17.
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Twenty-two members of the Twin Cities Religion Labor Network held a ‘pray-in’ Tuesday in the lobby of the Grand Hotel in downtown Minneapolis to urge a fair contract for employees.
The group read prayers and stood in silence in the lobby for about 15 minutes before management asked them to leave. Owner Jeff Wirth was among those who witnessed the pray-in, participants said.
‘We sent a clear message that the workers in the hotel have the support of the community and specifically the Twin Cities Religion Labor Network,’ said the Rev. Doug Mork, pastor at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in St. Paul. The Religion Labor Network, a coalition of churches, unions and other groups, conducts ‘pray-ins’ and other activities, such as letterwriting, to support dignity and fair treatment of workers, he said.
The Grand Hotel was formerly the Minneapolis Athletic Club. Hotel Employees & Restaurant Employees Local 17 had a contract covering workers at the Athletic Club for several decades. Last year, Wirth closed down the building for remodeling and laid off the employees. They were recalled this summer when the building reopened as the Grand Hotel, but some are earning less than what they made under the previous contract, which expired June 1, said Nancy Goldman, Local 17 business agent.
Negotiations between the union and hotel management have been going on since March, with no resolution of outstanding issues such as wages, Goldman said.
Some of the lowest paid workers are women in their 60s and 70s who do laundry, she said. They earn $8 an hour.
The union is going to file unfair labor practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board to protest what it sees as discriminatory treatment of employees who have been long-term union members, said Jaye Rykunyk, principal officer of Local 17.