Union Members Defend Vacation Benefits

Workers at the Hilton East Brunswick have won an important victory on the issue of vacation pay for non-tipped hotel workers!

Last year, management at the Hilton East Brunswick violated the union contract by attempting to change the way they calculate vacation pay. The company tried to implement a complicated new formula, which would have resulted in union members losing as much as a week of vacation time over what they had enjoyed in previous years.

The union filed a grievance, arguing that Hilton East Brunswick had no right to disregard the union contract by making one-sided changes to vacation pay. In April, we took it to arbitration and we won! As a result of the settlement, the Hilton East Brunswick is required to return to using the vacation system that union members negotiated in their contract. The company will also be required to submit employment records that the union will use to determine whether any members are entitled to backpay as a result of Hilton’s contract violations.

Congratulations to all the shop stewards and union members who put in the time and energy it took to win this important victory - especially Louisa Ramos, (Shop Steward, Housekeeping), Rich McDole (Shop Steward, Bartender), Rogelio Hernandez (Shop Steward, Public Facilities), and Ralph Ward (Shop Steward, Engineering)!