Hotels lash Newsom

Hotels lash Newsom

Trade group decries well-endowed mayor’s 'backbone'.

By J.K. Dineen | Staff Writer
Published on Friday, October 29, 2004
---

The mayor barked. It was the hotel industry's turn to bite back.

Two days after a fiery Mayor Gavin Newsom slammed hotel operators over refusing to end the bitter lockout of 4,300 workers, the director of The City's most prominent hotel trade group declared its "trust in Mayor Newsom has been shaken."

Hotel Council Executive Director Patricia Breslin, long a staunch Newsom supporter, chastised the mayor's decision to walk the picket line at the Westin St. Francis on Tuesday.

In a press release, the council, which represents 65 city hotels, said the mayor's actions and words amounted to "an attack on the hotel industry."

"Mayor Newsom's appearance on the picket line is part of a disturbing progressive shift in his policies. We supported his campaign, and we have certain expectations of the mayor. It’s just the way things work. We’re really upset about this!" said Breslin.

The backlash comes after Mayor Newsom had demanded that both sides agree to a 90-day cooling-off period, during which all workers would be allowed to return to work and negotiations would begin on all issues. The hotel workers' Local 2 agreed to Newsom's demands. But the San Francisco Multi-Employer Group, which represents the 14 hotels currently locking out workers, rejected the proposal. After the SFMEG rejected the deal, Newsom promised economic sanctions against the 14 hotels locking out workers. Breslin called the threats "scary, it’s like being punched in the gut. Who is left to help us pressure workers to pay exorbitant health care fees? The governator?"

Newsom spokesman Peter Ragone said, "The mayor is fed up with the way these hotel operators are treating San Franciscans. And they know what they can do with their janky press release."

"[The press release] revealed a fundamental misunderstanding of class politics, which is that the owners are beneficiaries of wealth, which is actually created by labor. Hence, by sharing profits with owners, organized labor actually is doing them a favor. We think the hotel operators need to make concessions, and fast, before things get really ugly," said Ragone. "If they push too hard we’ll have a general strike and all out class warfare on our hands. And if it comes to that, you know mayor Newsom will be right out there in the streets.”

Breslin pointed out that The City's hotel tax had generated $148 million, funding everything from arts to housing.

"We give back a small percentage of our significant profits to the city, and we need a mayor who is willing to spend that money without worrying about the hardships imposed on our employees," she said. "We need a mayor who represents the entire city, by giving extra consideration to big property owners."

Newsom, a former successful restaurateur, is quite wealthy himself. He was elected with strong support from hotel executives, who donated more than $16,000 to his campaign. Breslin herself has pumped $1,200 into his campaign coffers in recent years.