After several weeks of intense negotiations and global action, the Lufthansa Group answered union calls to stop using the Hilton San Francisco Union Square hotel, where workers are on strike, for layover accommodation for their crews.
USA union UNITE HERE and the German union ver.di, both affiliates of the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), have been working with the ITF to ask airlines to avoid struck hotels and not compel their crews to cross picket lines.
In a significant win for striking hotel workers, Condor and now Lufthansa airlines have agreed to stop using the Hilton San Francisco Union Square. Until Wednesday, 13 November, Lufthansa used the hotel for many years for their crew layovers for the 60 flights in and out of the city every week. They used an estimated 60 rooms a day which would be 21,900 room nights a year.
ver.di, the only trade union in Germany for workers across the aviation industry, mobilised its influence to engage Lufthansa in discussions which would prioritise crew rest and wellbeing.
ver.di, met with the leadership from the Lufthansa Group to urge them to find alternative hotels for their employees until the dispute is settled.
Götz Boecke, ver.di representative on the Lufthansa's cabin crew works council said: “This is an important victory not only for striking workers but for the airline staff who rely on a safe and supportive hotel environment to gain the crucial rest they need during layovers to safely operate flights. Crossing picket lines and staying in hotels impacted by strike action does not give crew the rest they need.
“Lufthansa has shown great leadership by putting the health and well-being of its crews above its longstanding relationship with Hilton. Other companies should take note and follow suit. Our members, Lufthansa pilots and cabin crew, look forward to returning to their usual hotel once this dispute is settled. This is the power of international solidarity, made possible through our affiliation to the ITF.”
Airline crews have been affected by the hotel strikes in the US which have seen 10,000 workers walk off the job in US cities since early September.
Stephen Cotton, ITF General Secretary, said: “This is the power of global solidarity in action. We are glad Lufthansa has joined other airlines in moving crew out of striking hotels, proving that responsible companies don’t stand by while workers’ rights are exploited. The pressure is on Hilton – they can no longer ignore their obligations. Workers’ rights are not up for debate. This should serve as a wake-up call.”
“The ITF and our affiliates around the world will continue to back striking workers from Hilton, Hyatt and Marriott until they secure a fair contract, however long it takes.”
Gwen Mills, the International President of UNITE HERE, said: "We are grateful to ver.di's leadership and for their solidarity during our strike. Hotel workers are proud to take care of the flight crews who make it possible for people to visit San Francisco, and Lufthansa crews are some of the most frequent guests at the Hilton San Francisco Union Square.
“Workers are reaching out across borders and oceans to show their support. This profound act of international solidarity is deeply moving to Hilton workers who have been on strike for over seven weeks."
The hotel workers currently on strike, from bellman to back of house laundry staff, are demanding higher wages, better healthcare, fairer workloads and a return to pre-pandemic staffing.
Sara Nelson, International President of the AFA-CWA and Chair of the ITF’s Civil Aviation Section said: “Solidarity is a force stronger than gravity and ITF unions know it! Cheers to our Lufthansa union colleagues who convinced their management to move crews out of the hotels where workers are striking.
“Our collective fight is against corporate greed. That means the working class around the world standing together and showing the corporate class that we will exercise our power every time to ensure a fair deal for the people who provide all the value to our worldwide economy. This is one, big labour movement.”
Notes
About ver.di: With about 2 million members, ver.di protects conditions for workers across over 1,000 professions in Germany.
About UNITE HERE: UNITE HERE is a union of people committed to changing lives in the hospitality industry by making sure jobs are safe, respected, and provide enough to live on. UNITE HERE is currently running an international “Respect Our Work” bargaining campaign for hotel staff, urging the public not to use struck hotels in any affected city: https://unitehere.org/campaign/time-for-hotels-to-respect-our-work-in-2024/
About the ITF: The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) is a democratic, affiliate-led federation recognised as the world’s leading transport authority. We fight passionately to improve working lives; connecting trade unions from over 150 countries to secure rights, equality and justice for their members. We are the voice for nearly 16.5 million working women and men in the transport industry across the world.
