Hotel Frank Weekly Three-Dot Report (#11): Picket SF Pension Fund Board Meeeting...

It turns out that the SAN FRANCISCO CITY WORKERS' PENSION FUND has a $25 million investment in the AEW Capital Management real estate fund that owns Hotel Frank!

Why does the SF Pension Fund own a San Francisco hotel that won't sign a Union contract, won't pay for medical coverage, makes life a living hell for its workers, and fires and disciplines workers in violation of federal law?

That is the question we will be asking when we picket the next meeting of the SF Pension Board:

WEDNESDAY, MAY 9
9:30 AM SHARP!
30 VAN NESS (one-half block north of Market)

Join Us!

Shame on the San Francisco Pension Board for taking city workers' hard-earned money and investing it in anti-worker companies...

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MEANWHILE, our expanded early-morning picket lines are hitting the hotel hard.
We are now picketing from 7am to 8am every Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday morning...

Here are some comments from unhappy guests on TripAdvisor:

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"UNBEARABLE SITUATION”
Reviewed April 30, 2012

"Hotel Frank inspired me to become a reviewer.

"I travel constantly for business. I recently stayed at Hotel Frank recently and between the construction noise in the hotel and the union protesters outside my window it was unbearable. Nothing like being woken up to drilling and someone on all bullhorn yelling, '...hey you in there! get out of there! ...you're stupid to stay there!..etc'

"...I checked out the next morning. Haven't seen the credit back on my account for the rest of the charges yet but [the hotel] did agree to credit me back and I made sure I got a receipt before I left.

"Apparently the union protesting has been going on for months so they are trying to attract unsuspecting customers and then dismiss the disruption as not a big deal. Well if you like to sleep, its a big deal..."

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"KEEP LOCKING, FOR THE PRICE YOU CAN DO BETTER"
Reviewed April 28, 2012

"On the surface the hotel isn't bad, the location is great, but for the price you can do better. List of problems include:
* Hard beds
* Terrible pillows (these two points left with with back pain each morning
* Poor sound insulation from street noise
* Tiny bathroom
* Terrible water pressure
* The kicker is the protesting. It happens every morning at 7am. They're out there with bullhorns so sleeping pasting past 7:01 is impossible."

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"BEWARE BEFORE BOOKING"
Reviewed April 25, 2012

"If you like to sleep later than 7 AM, book elsewhere. Unfortunately, I booked a non-refundable room BEFORE I read about the protesters, who are out with bullhorns at 7 AM in the morning. So no sleeping in on the weekends. Or any day. There is also construction going on in the hotel, which isn't as disruptive but is still unpleasant. I strongly believe these are things which the hotel should disclose before people book non-refundable rooms. Of course no one would book then, as there are dozens of hotels in the area of the same caliber and price range. We won't be back."

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GOOD MORNING, HOTEL FRANK!
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Here is our new, expanded picket schedule:

Every WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY and FRIDAY
7am to 8am
3pm to 5:30pm

Every SATURDAY and SUNDAY
7am to 8am

Hotel Frank
Geary and Mason
San Francisco

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Hotel Frank was auctioned off in a foreclosure sale in May, 2010 by WELLS FARGO.
The bank then sold the hotel to a financial speculator called AEW CAPITAL MANAGEMENT.
The hotel is now managed by a company called PROVENANCE.
(But ask again tomorrow...)

Since the foreclosure sale:

• Management refuses to recognize the Union contract that existed for nearly 40 years.
• The hotel did not pay one penny for medical coverage or pensions for almost two years.
• We all have to work an extra half-hour per day for free.
• Room cleaners clean many more rooms, even if it means skipping breaks and meal periods.
• Staffing has been cut at the front desk and in housekeeping, while the workload has increased.
• A federal judge has found the hotel guilty of firing and disciplining workers for Union activities.

For more info on the Hotel Frank fight:
http://www.HotelFrankSF.info
http://www.Facebook.com/BoycottHotelFrank?sk=wall (Like Us!)
http://www.YouTube.com/watch?v=Y9YwGupD5a4&feature=youtu.be
http://www.OneDayLongerSF.org