{"id":108,"date":"2008-11-06T17:11:00","date_gmt":"2008-11-06T17:11:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/terragrafix.com\/blog\/?p=108"},"modified":"2008-11-06T17:11:00","modified_gmt":"2008-11-06T17:11:00","slug":"immigrant-housekeepers-continue-fight-for-back-wages-at-woodfin-hotel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.thesecretnewsonline.com\/?p=108","title":{"rendered":"Immigrant Housekeepers Continue Fight for Back Wages at Woodfin Hotel"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>March for Woodfin Hotel Workers’ Back Wages<\/span><\/span>
Monday, Nov. 17 at 5 pm<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/b>Join the march from the <\/span>Woodfin Hotel<\/span> at 5800 Shellmound, Emeryville to Emeryville City Hall (<\/span>1333 Park St., Emeryville<\/span>).<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

by Reem Assil<\/p>\n

It’s been close to three years since Woodfin owner Sam Hardage refused to pay about $200,000 in back wages to dozens of hotel housekeepers. Meanwhile, Hardage’s business has spent about twice that on largely unsuccessful lawsuits trying to throw out Emeryville’s living wage law. Next week, on Mon, Nov 17, the latest chapter in this struggle opens with a hearing at the Emeryville City Council and a 300-person march called “Let justice roll down.”<\/p>\n

One worker, Lorena, had this to say about conditions before the living wage and fair workload law went into effect: “Sometimes I couldn’t even stop to get a glass of water. I would get home with my feet very swollen, my hands swollen, and with a headache. When we couldn’t finish, they made us punch out after 8 hours and told us to finish. I even started wondering if we were living in times of slavery.”<\/p>\n

Go to for the http:\/\/www.workingeastbay.org\/woodfinblog<\/a> for the full story.<\/p>\n

Please join the East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy (EBASE) on Monday, November 17th at 5 PM at the Woodfin Suites Hotel (5800 Shellmound, Emeryville) for a march from the hotel to Emeryville City Council before the hearing. For more information or to RSVP, visit www.workingeastbay.org\/Woodfin_hearing<\/a>.
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<\/span>Reem Assil<\/strong> is a community organizer for EBASE. Reem is inspired by both her love for community and her understanding of the importance of building power in the labor movement. Her formative experience with coalition building and community organizing comes out of organizing in the Arab American community, in which her heart lies.<\/span><\/span>
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(Photo courtesy of EBASE, www.workingeastbay.org)<\/span><\/span>
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