City Council is Unanimous in Ruling that Woodfin Owes Workers $200,000 in Back Wages
by Tracy Schroth
Current and former Woodfin hotel workers are now one step closer to victory in their three-year fight for more than $200,000 in back wages. The Emeryville City Council voted last week to formally adopt written findings of fact in the case, essentially ratifying its Jan. 15 voice vote that Woodfin must pay back wages to dozens of immigrant workers. The final vote follows a marathon five days of hearings over two months. The Council rejected Woodfin’s appeal of the city manager’s finding in 2006, ordering the hotel to pay the additional wages to comply with the city’s “living wage” ordinance.
The Council ultimately rejected Woodfin’s argument that it is in compliance with Measure C, a 2004 initiative that established a “living wage” for workers at Emeryville hotels, and also set guidelines for working conditions.
City Attorney Mike Biddle has sent a letter to Woodfin General Manager Hugh MacIntosh stating that the Woodfin has until March 31 to pay the back wages, along with its annual permit fee. The letter asks that MacIntosh supply the required declarations confirming the payments were made, to whom, and for how much, no later than April 15. If the Woodfin fails to meet the payment deadline, it will be denied a renewal of its permit to operate.
Sam Hardage, owner of the Woodfin, at 5800 Shellmound Street, has spent well over $200,000 in legal fees trying to fight the order to pay the back wages, arguing that room cleaners received help with their work from supervisors and therefore the wages owed are considerably less. When asked to elaborate, Woodfin attorneys said that supervisors helped clean the rooms “with their eyes and their heads” (whatever that means).
Woodfin Suites Hotels, a privately held company, was founded by CEO Hardage, who earned the rank of “pioneer” in the 2004 George Bush re-election campaign by raising more than $100,000 in contributions. In 2008, Hardage raised about the same amount for Arizona Sen. John McCain‘s presidential bid. Hardage also was a major contributor to the re-election campaign of former California Congressman Randy “Duke” Cuningham, now serving time in federal prison for accepting kick-backs from military contractors.
Just because the City of Emeryville has a law that states Woodfin must pay it's workers, just like all the other hotels in Emeryville, doesn't mean they'll do it. Far from it. They have disdain for our town and the rule of law. Remember, this is brought to us from the same people that 'elected' George Bush & Co….I'd expect lying and law breaking in service of their overriding Republican ideology (and just some pure old fashioned greed).
The Woodfin Hotel thinks the workers and the people of Emeryville are below contempt. Here's what they think of our Living Wage Ordinance.
I think the question is: What kind of a city do we want? Do we want to be a city that values labor and justice even if the lucky among us don’t have to worry how to feed their families….even if most of us individually aren’t brought down by corporate generated injustice? Can we take pride in a town that allows this to continue? Wouldn’t it be better to build the kind of city where these values are envisioned and ensconced in all new development we welcome here?
We have made some mistakes that need correcting. We need to express our shared communal values. Are you listening City Council?
It looks like Council members Nora Davis and Dick Kassis didn’t want anymore bad press. I notice they changed their previous votes in favor of the hotel and against the workers. Maybe their anti-labor principles aren’t as deep as some have said.
The Woodfin has spent $200,000 but the city has paid over $500,000 to a law firm.
Both are ridiculous.
The $500,000 the City paid to a law firm is only rediculous that it’s so much money. It’s right that the City is defending the will of the people (except Kassis and Davis who obviously don’t believe the will of the people and the workers need to be protected). Here’s a point: will the Woodfin ever have to pay us back when they finally and fully lose this battle of their’s?
Let’s keep in mind that the whole premise of the Woodfin’s for why they don’t have to obey our Living Wage ordinance is laughable.
Unconstitutional? Hah! The courts knocked that one down.
The housekeeping management and the maintenance men did a big portion of the cleaning at the hotel? Again, are they insulting our intelligence with this kind of argument?
The Woodfin and Sam Hardage need to eat it and pay up, finally.
Dick Kassis and Nora Davis and Ken Bukowski are radically anti-labor. Why do we have council members that hold workers in such disdain? During Nora Davis’ and Ken Bukowski’s last re-election campaign, they were openly hostile and showed outright hatred of working people in Emeryville. You guys at Secret News need to make sure everyone knows the extent of the anti-labor council.
You guys should do a follow up story to this.