Feature Archives

The California Nurses Association held a press conference August 19th accusing Sutter's California Pacific Medical Center, which operates St. Luke's Hospital, of discriminating against Filipino nurses. The nurses presented declarations from three former hospital managers documenting a policy of discrimination and data showing a precipitous decline in the number of Filipino nurses hired at St. Luke's. Union and community leaders suggested that the decline is related to Filipino nurses' leadership in the 2008 campaign to save the hospital.

On July 22nd, about 1500 members of UNITE HERE! Local 2 and supporters demonstrated in San Francisco, culminating in a mass civil disobedience in front of the Grand Hyatt in Union Square. Police arrested 150 people in San Francisco and 10 at a similar demonstration at the Hyatt Santa Clara. The Bay Area protests were two of fifteen that took place in North America at Hyatt hotels on the same day.

Saying that Meg Whitman's election would threaten their meal and rest breaks and put patient care in jeopardy, nurses protested in front of the Republican candidate's home on July 15th. Nurses decided to take to the streets in large numbers after Whitman mailed letters and fliers to nurses' homes telling them not to believe statements made by the California Nurses Association. The day of action started with over 1,100 people chanting in protest in front of Whitman's Atherton home and ended with a rally and speakers' event at Cañada College.

Pride @ Work, the Harvey Milk Club, and labor activists held a protest on Saturday, June 19th, to protest the firing of Vincent Atos from Hornblower/Alcatraz Cruises for organizing a union and allegedly (this is an actual quote from Human Resources) acting “too gay” at work. In turn, demonstrators decided to have a picket that was “too gay” for Hornblower. Picketers dressed in sailor suits paraded down a red carpet runway dancing to the music of the Brass Liberation Orchestra.

On Tuesday, May 18th, local LGBT groups rallied in front of the federal building in San Francisco to call on community members to contact their congressional representatives and urge them to pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, or ENDA. ENDA would ban workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Currently, it is legal in many states to discriminate against LGBT people and there are no federal laws protecting LGBT people in the workplace.

May 15th marked the 80th day of a bitter lockout that has put 61 food service and maintenance workers out of work in Pleasanton. The workers – members of Unite Here Local 2850 – were locked out by Castlewood Country Club in February as it and the union were negotiating a new contract. Workers and their union had been trying to preserve affordable family health coverage and they have accused Castlewood of union busting and starvation tactics.

A flashmob invaded the Westin St. Francis hotel in San Francisco on May 8th, singing and dancing before an amused audience of tourists and hotel guests. The activists performed to accompanying horns and drums of the Brass Liberation Orchestra with their own version of the Lady Gaga song Bad Romance, "Don't Get Caught in a Bad Hotel". The spectacle drew attention to a boycott called by the workers of the hotel who are eager to get a fair contract and affordable healthcare.