Hospitality Workers Struggle
to Survive in New Orleans
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"...It still seems like no matter how hard
we work, we just can't seem to get ahead. In fact, it's getting
worse. We can't support a family on what we make and the insurance-it's
unaffordable. Just yesterday, I saw a supervisor speak to a
grown man like he was a child.
We tried to form a union for some fairness, but our company
harassed and threatened people until they voted against it.
I spoke up for the union, and now they've demoted me to the
grill and cut my hours. That's not going to keep me quiet, though,
because I really believe in what I'm doing.
I hope the communtity investigates what's going on out here
and listens to what we're saying. After all, the only way anything
is going to change is if we all take a stand."
-Audrey Minor
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The Hospitality industry in the City of New Orleans is the most lucrative
industry in the State of Louisiana. As we apporoach the new millennium,
the future of the economy of this city rests in the tourism/convention
industry. The government of the city has done all that it can to entice
investment in the tourism infrastructure promoting, development of
hotels, and selling the city of New Orleans as one of the premire
tourist/convention destination in the nation. Hotel room rates are
among the highest in the United States with rooms going for an average
of $178.00 per night. The heavy subsidies accorded to the industry
have allowed hotels in New Orleans to reap unprecedented profits year
in and year out.
However, Hotel workers in this city are among the lowest paid workers
in the nation. The average hotel housekeeper in New Orleans earns
$5.48 an hour. That prevailing wage puts most hotel workers and their
famililes 20% below the federal poverty level. When Hotel workers
attempt to improve their lives through the formation of labor unions
they are met with fierce opposition from the hotel industry. Workers
are routinely harassed, intimidated and even fired for exercising
their legal right to organize into collective bargaining units. Did
you know:
- New Orleans Hotels maintain a 75% occupancy level year round
- Many New Orleans
Hotels are parts of large corporations that have unionized workers
in other major tourism/convention cities like New York, Las Vegas
and San Fransisco.
- One out of Six
jobs in New Orleans are related to the hospitality industry
- Most New Orleans
hotels are heavily subsidized by taxpayers through guaranteed HUD
loans, tax abatements, enterprize zone credits and other tax breaks.
- The majority
of hotel workers are African Americans, women and other minorities
- Historically,
New Orleans hospitality workers have been exploited
- The major reason
for the success of the hotel industry is the legendary hospitality
exhibited by the workers
- Hotel Workers
in New Orleans are the only non-unionized hospitality workers in
a major U.S. Tourist/Convention destination
- Labor Peace is
crucial to the continued survival of the industry and to the economy
of the city.
Addional Information here>>
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