The recent spate of tentative contract agreements between Southern California hotels and their unionized workers appeared to materialize out of the ether. After months with little progress reported, several deals were struck in succession, including the announcement of agreements with 10 hotels in a single day and another four soon thereafter, which brought the total to 24 in all.
With workers at nearly 40 other hotels still seeking deals they can agree to, the larger picture is not complete. But what is becoming apparent is that the union’s negotiating strategy, willingness to call out hotels and their parent companies by name, and tactic of selective strikes have begun to click.
