Labor, Housing, Arts Advocates United in Opposition to SF Tourist Hotel Conversions

Peskin’s ordinance would prevent hotels with 50 rooms or more to convert any of their tourist rooms into condominiums. Prospects for approval by the full board look good, with Supervisors Maxwell and McGoldrick standing strongly behind it.

The diversity of public speakers testified to the variety of constituencies that would be affected by the Fairmont’s proposal. Most immediately harmed would be the hotel workers who could lose their jobs should the conversions take place, and they, along with labor allies from SEIU 790, California Nurses Association, and others represented a major chunk of those in attendance.

“We’re here because it means our jobs,” said Sam Zehr of the UNITE HERE Local 2, the union representing hotel and restaurant workers. “Not only will we lose our jobs, but the city will lose convention business as well, which means even more lost employment.”

Ann Hunt, a server at the Fairmont for the last 27 years, agreed. Testifying before the committee, Hunt detailed her plans to retire in under a year, then responded to a question she says she hears often – how would you, of all people, be affected? Her answer was that she already has been.

“I already see the scared look on my brothers and sisters faces,” said Hunt. “They’re afraid they’re going to lose the jobs they’ve been so loyal to for so many years.

Housing rights groups also joined in the battle, including the Tenants’ Union. Representative Ted Gullicksen used the hearing as an opportunity to show how condo conversions almost always negatively affect the poor and working classes of San Francisco.

“For years, we’ve been losing our homes to condo conversions,” said Gullicksen, referring to the wave of Ellis Act evictions sweeping the city to make room for TICs. “Now, we’re losing our jobs to the. It’s all about gentrification…what we need is affordable housing. The last thing we need is million dollar condos.”

Rounding out the impressive coalition at yesterday’s event was critics of the plan who decried the loss of money coming in to the hotel sales tax fund. The fund provides substantial amounts of money towards building affordable housing in the city and to arts organizations, money advocates claimed would be a tragedy to use just to make more luxury condos available to the rich.

The Board will take up the issue again next week.