tv Government Access Programming SFGTV November 8, 2018 8:00am-9:01am PST
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around your busy schedules to be here. i also want to note, my disappointment that the c.e.o. of marriott isn't here. i did send mr. sorenson a letter asking for him to be here. i did receive a letter in response declining to come here. but i just wanted to ask now if there's any representatives from marriott who showed up today? if you have, can you please make yourself be known. i don't see anyone. i know we do have overflow rooms in room 263 and in the north side court. if there is any representative of marriott, please come to the board chamber because we would like to hear from you. i will say that there are thousands of workers, of your
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workers from your hotel here and all over this building right now and i'm incredibly, incredibly disappointed and in fact insulted that you decided not to show up today. i just wanted to give you an opportunity to come and you will be welcome to speak at any point during this hearing if any representative shows up. i proposed that we hold this hearing because i've been becoming more and more concerned about the marriott hotel strike, which is just entered its second month. and as far as i'm aware, this is the biggest strike that san francisco has seen in any industry in more than a generation. as i said last week, i know that going on strike is one of the hardest decisions that anyone could possibly make. when thousands of san franciscans feel the need to lay down their tools and to walk off the job, it is a sure sign that something is not right in our city.
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that is why i'm again, so grateful for my colleagues who agreed to hold this special meeting as a committee of the whole and i think all of us agree we need to hear from the work worse have taken this action. we would like to hear from the company effected again, i will say it's unfortunate that they're not here. this strike touches on nearly everything we, as supervisors, are asked to weigh in on. from income inequality to environmental sustainability, to healthcare and the budget. almost everything at stake in this dispute is something that all san franciscans hold important. looking out at the audience and having seen everyone in the howl ways on the way to this room, it's obvious who these striking workers are. they are across section of our city. they are our neighbors, our family members, our friends. they represent the best of what san francisco has always been, a community of working people from
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diverse backgrounds who stand together united in a common cause. we all know how important the tourism industry is to san francisco. in 2017, visitors spent $9.1 billion in san francisco. hotel companies clearly play a key role in that economy. i have already mentioned that i reached out to mr. sorenson to speak of this hearing. i really sincerely hoped they would be here to tell their side of the story. after all, san francisco is known as one of the most important tourist destinations in north america. we generate some of the highest room rates in the country and are a market every hotel company wants to be in. our city isn't just another profit center on a spread sheet somewhere. our city is a place where real people struggle to build a
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future, to raise families, to grow old together. doing that is getting harder and harder for so many. from what i hear, that's the reality that led to the strike, which is the subject of this hearing today. i want today see if any of my colleagues wanted to make opening remarks before i call up the president of local 2 to speak from the union's perspective about what is driving the strike and what this dispute means to the city as a whole. i want today give an opportunity to any of my colleagues, if anyone wants to make opening remarks. i'm not seeing any. >> supervisor ronen, i just want to say i'm very thankful that you called for this hearing. this issue is very important to many of us here. if not all of us. and certainly what is happening
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in the city is not what i like to see of san francisco. we need to help this situation be resolved. thank you, very much. >> thank you so much. with that, is it ok if we call up the president of unite here local 2. >> colleagues, would you -- is there any objection to have him speak as a speaker, presenter? >> thank you, supervisors. thank you for taking this very rare move to call for this urgent special hearing about a crisis with the marriott corporation in this city that's in fact turned this city, turned san francisco and its tourism industry upside down. i, along with striking workers,
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a short time ago, met with mayor breed, who continues to be very supportive of our campaign and it's central goal. that one job should be enough. today, this board, this committee of the whole, will hear firsthand testimony from striking marriott workers. about why this crisis occurred in this city. what is at stake for this city? if it's not quickly and fairly resolved. and make no mistake about it, folks, this is a crisis. there are 2500 families that have been out on strike for a month now. they made that difficult decision, they made that sacrifice, they took that step after months of failed negotiations with this company. you know, a century ago, in this country, working people fought and struck and did everything they could to impresses on their bosses the need for an eight-hour workday due to the
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exploitation of those times being driven and overworked. the need for a weekend. they were successful in making that demand heard. they were successful in winning the weekend. they were successful in achieving the promise of security and security and quality of life. today that promise is all but gone. you know, too often hotel workers, service sector working, marriott workers here and across this country have to work multiple jobs just to survive. the work they provide reaps record profits for the corporations for which they work. just to pay rent in this city, a housekeeper working at the marriott has to work 40 hours a week. 40 hours a week, a full-time job that only does enough to pay the rent in this city.
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that's why more and more of our members, that's why more and more working people in this city are working two sometimes throwe jobs. they're commuting longer and from longer distances from further away. that's a burden, not just born on our members, on those wor workers. it's on their families and especially their children. the average full-time marriott worker in this city earns $44,000 a year. i don't have to tell you what you already know. that's enough to make ends meet here in the bay area in today's bay area. so, that is what has driven this campaign. that's the under pinnings of our campaign. that one job should be enough. that is why workers took this step. this courageous step to walk out on strike to fight for themselves and their families. 30 days ago. now, since that time, we've seen some movement at the table from
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this corporation. in negotiations earlier this week, we made, for the first time, significant progress on one of our key objectives. real job security. the ability to really negotiate over new technology and the workplace. and food and beverage operations. we believe that progress was made and that we took those steps because of the action that workers have taken. that being said, we are still significantly a part on issues that matter most to working people in this city. on the issue of healthcare, healthcare in this market in northern california here in this city, healthcare is all but out of reach for working peoplement for hotel workers, union hotel workers in this city, because of years of struggle, because of campaigns in the past, we have achieved a standard where the cost associated with health
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insurance are born by the employer. and while some employers may squawk and say it's an unfair burden to impose on employers, it certainly can't be born by working people, who just barely make enough to pay the rent. we, as of today, as of today, 30 days into a strike, our contract expired august 1st. months of failed negotiations. we still today do not have a commitment from this company to maintain workers ehealth' health benefits over the next several years. the marriott corporation, worth $49 billion, in this city, a city that is a life blood industry worth over $9 billion. if the marriott corporation is not going to step up and say yes, we will protect your
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healthcare, yes, we have a responsibility as a corporate citizen in this city to do right by our workers, if they won't do that and if we won't hold them accountable to do that, then what will other corporate citizens do? who are we as a city? this brazen position that this company has taken and unreasonable position, has an impact on the entire industry and in fact, it's an attack, not just on the workers at the marriott corporation. not just on hotel workers in this city. but on working people in this city and in fact on this city as a whole. and that's why we're here today. we're here to tell our stories. we're here to tell you about why workers have taken this step. why we're out on strike. what this strike means to us. what it means when we say one job should be enough. at the end of the day, when you
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boil it all down, to its real core. when you think about those words. one job should be enough. it really is a modest demand and it's something that marriott can achieve today. we go back to the table with this company here in san francisco on november 12th. we know we're gathering stanley cup or the and we're stronger by the day. we will last one daylonger than the marriott corporation. with the support of this board and the city and the mayor, we know we're going to win this fight. i can't say it any better than the strikers themselves many of with that i'll turn it back to the chair. you will hear testimony today directly firsthand from striking workers that will really tell the story of what this campaign is about. i thank you. [applause]
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>> i just want to remind the audience, if you need to express a positive expression, just wave your hands. we'll see all your hands. it's against the rules for us to make noise out there. if you are hearing something you don't like, just go thumbs down. [laughter] >> thank you, very much. supervisor ronen. >> yes, i just had a couple of questions for you. you made a couple points that really struck me. through preptation for this hearing, i learned that marriott employs more people worldwide than google sales force and facebook combined. is that right? >> that's accurate, yes. marriott is the largest hotel corporation in the history of the world. and they're the largest hotel employer here in san francisco.
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>> so then, the outcome of this strike and the precedent that's sent about this contract, about what healthcare benefits these workers received, what job security in this changing economy happens, the impact of this is not just going to impact these 2500 workers here in the san francisco but potentially millions of workers through out the country and perhaps the world. i wanted you to speak a little bit about that. i didn't realize that until i started researching this, and the severity and what is at stake in the strike hit me very hard. >> i think that's absolutely right. you know, the marriott corporation is not the worst hotel corporation in this country. i mean we're not making the point that marriott is somehow any worse than any other corporation, any other corporate employer. marriott is by far the largest.
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as the largest, they are the industry leader in this industry and they have a unique responsibility as the industry leader. here in this city, you know, as a large employer, certainly what we achieve here in san francisco will set a benchmark and will set a standard for the other hotel workers in this city. i think when you look nationally, when you kind of zoom back to the rest of the country, what marriott does in multiple cities across the country will set a standard for working people across the country. but to your point, supervisor, ronen, it's not just about hotel workers. it's about working people, it's about service sector ploy's and working people in general in some of our largest cities. and what role do corporations have and what responsibilities to the largest corporations in our cities have to do right by
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working people. we argue and we fight and we strike because we believe that they do have a responsibility. it's not just about their bottom lines and it's not just about repeating record profits off working people. it's playing a role as a corporate leader and supervisors corporate responsibility. >> i want to make sure we have the facts right. so, you said that the average hotel worker here in san francisco is earning about $44,000 a year. >> that's right. >> and that the c.e.o. compensation s. in 2017, was $1 million? $13 million? >> i believe that is correct. >> look, another reason why i call this hearing and why i think this strike is so important is because to me, it's at the heart of so many battles
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happening right now in san francisco. employers are saying look, the burden shouldn't be on us for healthcare, then, join us in the fight for single pay healthcare and don't accept tax breaks that make you millions of dollars more but make it impossible for the government to provide quality healthcare to the citizens. it's like we're damned in we don't and damned if they don't. they complain and complain but they're not part of the solution. the homeless crisis in san francisco, the battle that is taking place between a couple of the billionaires that live here about whether they should be taxed a little bit more to take care of basic needs. i really see that struggle linked with the struggle of these workers. i just want to say, before i turn it over to hear directly from the workers, how inspired that i personally am by all of you because you are making a personal sacrifice in your own life, a sacrifice that i can't
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even again to imagine. you live in the most expensive region in the world and you have joined together to have each other's backs to fight not only for yourself but for the country, for the soul of workers everywhere and i just want to thank you from the bottom of my heart. you are my heroes. i just want you to know that you are seen and that you are appreciated and that we look to you as the example of what we want to see everywhere in this country. thank you so much. >> thank you. [applause] >> supervisor fewer. >> yes, thank you, chair. i just want to thank supervisor ronen for having us here today. thank you to local 2 for coming ot today and sharing your stories with us. i was a member of local 2 when i was a cocktail waitress at fairmont hotel. i was putting my way through college and i was on strike and
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i was on strike for many, many weeks. and i will never forget that experience. the idea that we come together united as labor partners, brothers and sisters. on the pickett lines. all of us eating bologna sandwiches that the union had given to us. someone would come with a big box of bologna sandwiches at dinnertime and we would all eat these sandwiches and have a bottle of water. but we're on the pickett line taking shifts because, at that time, the contract was a maid or housekeeper was cleaning 17 rooms at minimum for $35 a day. this has been the fight of below and moderate wage workers for decades. this isn't something that is new that we've had to fight for a living wage for low and moderate wage workers all the time.
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i know how hard it is to be on strike. when i was on strike i would rather have been at work making tips and money more than $50 a week. on the pickett line, i learned a life lesson. i learned about privilege and i learned about the privilege that i have and i also learned about the unity and strength of workers getting together. combined our dedication to actually fighting for not only our own wages but for wages for moderate and low-wage workers everywhere. in particular now, in san francisco. this expensive city experiencing the largest wealth gap we have ever experienced. i see how you are on strike
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fighting. i see how you would have to strike in order to demand wages and healthcare that you deserve. i just want to say thank you for coming out today. thank you to supervisor ronen for calling this hearing. we have heard many times in this chamber from elected officials that say labor stays united. these weeks of the strike for local 2 to unite here, you've demonstrated the tenacity, the determination and also how stead fast you are in believing in your right to earn a living wage here in san francisco. and so i look forward to hearing from you today. >> supervisor mandelman. >> i want to thank supervisor ronen for calling for this hearing. i am just struck by the disrespect of this major international corporation in not
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responding, supervisor ronen, to your request to have them come here and a explain to a city that is being impacted every single day by this strike what this position is and why they've been unable to resolve it. i think that the arrogance of that corporation shows through in the letter that they've given to us. they are, as you said, a $49 billion corporation. maybe they feel they are almost as big as san francisco city government and maybe they don't feel the need to communicate with san francisco city government. i was troubled and i think it is ominous in an era of business consolidations and hotel consolidation this business apparently feels that it does not need to come here and talk to us. i want to express my respect for these workers. i cannot imagine what you all are going through.
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we are so grateful because it's not just about you, it's about the place of work in this city and the place of workers in this country and world and so i have ever confidence that you will win and your city is behind you. i do want to call my colleagues' attention to the other folks who are impacted by this including non profits who have had move their events away from these hotels and have lost out for that and good for them for doing it. the impact of this strike are being felt not but just the workers but the city. we are very proud of you. we will be with you. thank you. [applause] supervisor safai. >> thank you, chair yee and so supervisor ronen for calling this meeting. i want to thank the workers for
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standing up for dignity, for standing up for respect and for not only standing up for their industry but the entire workforce industry in san francisco. because it's extremely important to understand that the struggle that you make, the solidarity that you show, has impacted across all sectors in san francisco. so when you stand strong, all other sectors in san francisco stand strong. and i want to thank you for the time that i served as working with the janitors union, i was on the pickett line with you. i was in your membership meetings and i learned a tremendous a lot from you and the leadership of your union. so thank you for standing in solidarity today. thank you for standing up for dignity and respect and thank you for showing san francisco why and how its history is important for the city and the united states of america. thank you. >> supervisor brown.
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>> thank you. thank you supervisor ronen for calling this special board meeting so we can have people come in and tell their stories. i think that's what is really important. i'm hopeful and i'm encouraged that there will be some agreement on november 12th. on the local and national level. we all need to feel safe at work. we need to feel, as women we need to feel safe at work. and we all need to be paid fair and equitable. we all need to be secure in our jobs. when i heard him talk about how much you make a year, $42,000, around there, i think about everyday that me and my colleagues are going out to fight for affordable housing in this city, because we know it's so expensive, for people like you and others to live here.
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not only -- you don't even make enough money to qualify for the lowest affordable housing. you have to, a family of three, needs to make $58,000 a year to qualify for affordable housing. a family of four needs to make $65,000 a year to qualify for housing in our city. it's crazy you don't even make enough to be able to qualify for affordable housing in our city when we're out there fighting for it everyday to have one more unit, one more unit because we need people to be able to live and work in this city. you need to be able to live in the city to be able to get across town to get your children on time. you need to be able to live in this city so environmentally it's better when you are not driving or trying to get to the city on buses that you could actually just get across town on a bus to your job.
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i'm a little stunned. i'm stunned. and i'm ashamed. ashamed that a corporation like the marriott would do this. we're working very hard to have housing and fair housing in this city and we can't even get you housing. you don't qualify. that is ridiculous. i just really, really thank you today for coming out and spending time with us to tell your stories to us. thank you. >> thank you. any other supervisor who would like to make a comment? seeing none. right now, what i'd like to do is open up to public comments. i want to let the public know that we do have translation services available for spanish and chinese speakers during this public comment period.
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so, i'd like to open up public comment. are there any of the members who would like to address the board on a marriott hotel workers strike during the committee of the whole? what i'd like you to do is go ahead and lineup to your right over here. we'll take you first come first serve. anybody here would like to speak? each speaker will be allowed two minutes to speak.
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>> i realize there are speaker cards that i have. i'll call you up according to the order that i have received them. the first speaker will be casillo garcia. is that person here? come on up. next speaker will be ivanda mayors and following her will be hija wong nicole. after her alfredo carterown and after that will be laura -- i can't read handwriting but laura carumba and after that will be julian penrose.
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i'll continue to call up the card names as soon as i get a couple of these speakers to speak. go ahead. >> good afternoon. my name is consillia. i work at the marriott for 29 years. i work as a attendant. i am on strike because i believe that one job should be enough to have a dignified life to pay our rent and our bills and to be able to help out family. we live in this city with the cost of living is very, very expensive. what many ask is not enough to cover our needs. many of us have to work two or
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three jobs just to survive. we leave our homes very early and we come back very late. we don't have time for our families or for ourselves. our children and grandchildren are growing and we don't have time for them. sometimes i feel so bad when i see my co-workers. they live far, far away and they need to two hours to come to the city to make his day. marriott is one of the richest corporations in the world.
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we know they can make us just one job to be. it's time for marriott to take responsibility and sign our contract. thank you. >> one job should be enough. >> next speaker. >> good afternoon. my name is myers. i work at the marriott marques hotel for four years. i am a san francisco resident. i've been struggling with homelessness. being from the city, i understand the struggle of being a resident here. i'm a single parent of three kids. i went to school and i worked
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and tried very hard for my children. when i started working at the marriott, i felt like i finally made it. i have a bmr. we talked about the affordable housing i was blessed to get. it's very -- the battle is it never ends. so you get employment and then you have to worry about the stress of losing your job for the job security or not having benefits or to pay more out of pocket when it's almost impossible to live in this city as it is with other bills as far as childcare, transportation, you know, after school programs, food. it's very challenging. i believe one job should be enough. especially with all these big buildings that make all this money. i feel like they should share. there's no reason for us workers to work hard three or four jobs
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and not be able to get the money that we deserve. i don't think that we're asking for too much. we're just asking for what we deserve and what we know that they can give us. i appreciate you guys for taking the time out to listen to me and the workers. i really hope that we can come to speedy resolution to this. it's very hard for me and my workers to not only not make enough to live in the city but to be on strike. that's even more of a struggle. >> thank you. >> next speaker.
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>> this grown program is effecting our income because we are low income people and this is very hard for us to get enough working hours to work in marriott hotel. >> the hotel always asks us to stay home and we do not have a job to do. >> it makes us not guaranteed for our living. we did not have the very stable
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to some degree so we can come to a normal life. >> thank you for support. following alfred owe and laura. would be julian pemrose. following her would be mimmim lou. >> good afternoon board of supervisors san francisco. i work for two hotels marriott and palace hotel for 29 years. i have to work double jobs to live in san francisco. the rent is very expensive.
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marriott doesn't want to pay our benefits, pension and healthcare and everything. we need to support to tell the marriott to help us to sign a contract because we are sacrificing our levels, days and we are outside for this fight. thank you, very much for your support. >> thank you. >> hi. my name is laura. i work in marriott marque for six and a half years. i joined the strike with the union because i'm a single mom of three kids. i think we deserve a fair wages and healthcare for me and my kids. i cannot afford to live in the city with my wages. after working in marriott, i
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need to pick up my kids and go to another job and i don't have time for them. i am the only one they have. and i cannot afford to be sick. if i get sick and i cannot pay my health benefits. what would happen to my kids? i was in an apartment because i cannot pay the rent and i'm living with my sister. it's so hard to occupy one room with my three of my kids but i'm still fighting for this because i want my kids to know the value of respect and dignity. marriott is the biggest company. they raise the wages, the salary of the c.e.o. of the company. why can't they give us a little dollar for us to eastern a decent living here in the city. sorry.
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>> it's ok. thank you. julian. >> i was very moved by the last speaker. i would first like to thank the board of supervisors for their time and for their willingness to hear from the working people that make up our community. my name is julian penrose, i live here in san francisco. i've worked at the w hotel for the past eight years as a bellman. during that time, i've had to work two jobs in order to make ends meet. i've also worked tongues of overtime. just because i needed the money in order to survive in the city. at times i worked multiple times 24 hours straight. i've even worked 32 hours straight shift. even with all this, i don't feel like my wife and i can afford to have children in this city and raise them. which is pretty grim.
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marriott is the largest and richest hotel company the world has ever known. they made billions in profits last year on the backs of their workers. and they give their c.e.o. millions in compensation and a golden parachute, even when he is done, he will be fine for the rest of his life. i'm here to today to say that one job should be enough. one job should be enough to make ends meet. one job should be enough to have a family, provide for your family. one job should be enough to cover healthcare and medical benefits. one job should be enough to retire in dignity. working people shouldn't have to chose between these things. they shouldn't have to say like, oh, well, i just will take the pension but i'll lose and marriott has the ability to
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change this. they have the planes, the power the money, the financials that they can make a change for the better and show respect to their workers. thank you all for your time and your support. [applause] >> nicolas. >> good afternoon, everyone. i work as a attendant at the palace hotel. i am on strike. for working as a decade as a room attendant at the palace hotel, i have the worries, the stress of what will be my future and my family as well. because of the high cost of living, the small amount of money me and my husband are receiving every pay day, it is not enough to cover us or pay our rent or our apartment rent
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and the bills and most importantly our healthcare. at present, he can say that we cannot afford to pay more for the healthcare, especially my husband. right now he is sick and having dialysis. i have to look for one or more jobs. aside from that, we have no time to spend with my family. the gap in my workplace because of more work loads and lastly, despite the fact that the that i work for more in the palace.
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i have the fear, the fear of losing my job. this will lead to a very serious stress, which most likely leads to sickness, alcoholism, or even death. we are all here, our union, of course our respected supervisors, we are here to voice our demands and our support for one another. >> your time is up. >> to support one another and to fight for the benefits. what they deserve. >> next speaker.
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>> hi. my name is nicole. good afternoon to all of you. i'm sorry, i'm so nervous. i'm the housekeeper currently with saint francis. i am here because i have two kids. i am the main income for my family. it's not hurting me it's hurting my family. i always work hard. i ask for marriott to give us a good medi-cal. to ensure myself and my family's health. also good retirement. i'm sorry. >> take a deep breath. >> i can enjoy seeing my kids growing up. i want to have energy.
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he made a choice that we can have more hours. living in san francisco is expensive. our wages it's difficult to pay for the room and food for us. sign a contract now. one job should be enough. thank you. >> next speaker. >> this is not. good afternoon. my name is eva lena cravens i work as a room attendant at the western saint francisment i want to thank you for having us. this is our village, san francisco supervisors, kudos to you. i am on strike because i have to work two jobs. there's no job security. i have to wait by the phone to see if i work. i've been working at the saint francis for fours years. i'm on strike for my healthcare
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because i'm on strike because of my healthcare and so many work related injuries due to green choice. i'm going to tell you about green choice. green choice is a program where the guests get so many points and we can't clean their room for three days but they can ask us for con daments, towels so we're cleaning their room from the outside. by the time we clean their room 72 hours later, it's a room they wanted clean in 30 minutes but it takes us from an hour to 15 minutes and we have to change everything in the room. green choice is gold to the marriott and death for us. you have three days that you are out and then you have 14 rooms a day to do and six to nine double and you have guests waiting and special requests. you are rushing, you are injuring yourself that means in a day's work you will make 22
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beds, clean 14 bathrooms, vacuum 14 rooms, dust, whatever the room needs all within seven hours. believe me, you are rushing, running very scared you won't finish. you do it because you have the responsibility to your family to pay rent, bills, food, education and healthcare. i have three job related injuries. i have to have surgeon my elbow in the near future. i came with no health problems. i was health ski flying around just doing it and now i have problems with my shoulder, my left foot. >> thank you, very much. >> thank you. [applause]
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>> i'd like to invite. i'd like to have gustavo, kirk payalle, candida, frayedo mauriceo and eleusis walter. >> good afternoon, everyone. my name is mini. >> lucy: lu. i work on the hotel. i am on strike. i have to move a lot of heavy things, such things and deep clean. when the hotel forced to schedule enough people, my co-workers and i have to work extremely fast to get everything done in order to leave on time.
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that is the too much to leave us to get injured. and unfortunately the marriott doesn't look at our centers. we hadn't hurt our bodies to get it all done. we deserve a better contract. one job should be enough. thank you. >> hello. >> good afternoon, my name is gustavo. i work for the hotel. i am a janitor. i have to work two jobs. to be able to pay for my bills
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and my rent. i can't pay for healthcare coverage. my daughter has gone to the university and it is going to be harder for me with just one job. >> kirk. >> i've worked for marriott for 23 years. i was at the stanford court for 18 years, i thought i would retire there. in 2013 i was laid off so i had to look for another marriott job to stay with the company. i knew a manager at another marriott so i went to work for them, luckily. after three months, i lost my
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healthcare. i started getting letters for cobra, which is not cheap, as you well know. but luckily i did get a job. the marriott, i've worked for marriott for a long time. i know they can afford this. the healthcare is important, especially here in san francisco. with my brothers and sisters this strike has been tough. one job should be enough. thank you. >> good afternoon. my name is candy and i work for the san francisco for 16 years being a supervisor. i strike marriott because i have to give up my privacy and i had to bring my children, my son, his wife, my grandchildren in order to pay the rent to work
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and live in this city so i had to give up my privacy. we have to pay the rent and now we pay 2650 so it's kind of crazy. i have to give up my privacy. i strike marriott because i have a demanding job that is very stressful. i have to go to the emergency room three times because -- i have to take maud in order to make it through the day. i have a job for two people. one job should be enough. to pay the rent, pay the bills, and put food on the table. i ask for your support to marriott sign the contract.
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it's not fair that we're struggling when we work for the most rich corporation in the world. marriott, sign the contract. thank you for your support. thank you. >> i'm going to call some more cards to come up. after frayedo an frayed. >> go ahead. >> good afternoon, supervisors. thank you for all of your time and encouraging words of support. i served five years in the marine core and honestly, i have never felt more american than i do at this moment.
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that's how much i appreciate this opportunity to speak to you right now. i've been a doorman at the five-star saint regis hotel since 2012. opponents of our strike say we're not supposed to make careers out of these particular jobs but i've already been laboring in hotels for 14 years. and for most of that time i truly enjoyed it. i proudly served world famous and infamous celebrities. i'll put smiles on kids' faces and made the stoneyest face dudes chuckle. i can even make willie brown laugh from time to time. i fell in love with the front desk agent, we've been committed to each other for 10 years and we got married in 2016. together, we traveled and had the privilege of staying in some of the finest hotels on the planet, all thanks to a job that i'm not supposed to make a career out of. plenty of you appreciate the benefits that technology and
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innovation offer while we pay a stiff price for you to do so. before uber and lyft came along i could spend a total of one to two hours of my shift hailing taxicabs. these days i consider hailing three cabs within the space of 15 minutes to the day's big rush. electronic payment apps mean fewer guests carry cash, guests tell me i'll get you later. and all i can do is nod my head, smile and believe them. i'm forced to relay on an hourly wage, 86 cents above the city minimum. my rent for a two bedroom apartment is $2700 a month. before the strike i signed up for door cash and amazon to subsidize the 400 weekly picketting stipend. but after walking 30 to 30,000 steps on the picket pick --
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thank you, very much. thank you. next speaker, please. >> this marriott hotels has hundreds of thousands of employees and this is a good example on how the price fixing of living in san francisco correlates with the demonstrations. you always say the medium income in san francisco is 55, 60, 80% of the a.p.i. yet when you make these calculations, none of these people's income is included in the formula. that's why they're out on the border and homeless and working several jobs at one time. it's not fair. you know good and will in order to live in san francisco doing the time of work in their type of capacity and occupation is
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about $184,000 a year. you got a poop squat detail that is going around san francisco sweeping up feces from humans and service dogs and service dogs that are not attended and you pay the poop squad detail $184,000 a year. which is close to the same type of work that they're doing too. workers are taking care of their patients and giving them baths and des posing their human waste discharge which is exactly the type of clean ups that the damn poop squad is doing in san francisco. it's another example of price fixing. which is done by this administration. they're never included. never included in your calculations when you make the presentations talking about the medium income that people make is at 70, $50,000 a year.
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it's $90,000 a year and you claim that you surveyed everybody in the area but you never surveyed them. that's why you price fix and don't include them in the opportunity. and then when they stroke striku wonder why. it's not fair. you need to stop and treat people fairly. pay them a living wage equal to what the pop squad make. $184,000 a year. >> she will make the testimony part in english and part in chinese. good afternoon, everybody. my maim is may high wong. i work as a housekeeper as marriott union square for 15 years or more. i have a son and he goes to the
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