UNITE HERE Local 9 calls boycott of Portland Hilton

Workers at the downtown Portland Hilton Hotel and Executive Tower are calling for a boycott of their employer.

Portland-based UNITE HERE Local 9 has been in bargaining with the Hilton for four months, with little to show for it, the union’s leaders said. On Oct. 26, members voted by 96 percent to authorize a boycott.

Among other things, the union wants to reduce the workload of housekeeping staff; housekeepers say their quotas for the number of rooms they clean are unreasonable.

As one of four unionized hotels in the Portland area, the downtown Portland Hilton is often favored as a meeting place for union events.

But the union is calling on the public not to eat, sleep, or meet at the Portland Hilton until they sign a fair contract. Boycott supporters are asked to call Hilton general manager Tracy Marks at 503-226-1611 to let him know they won’t patronize the facility.

Boycott coordinator Eryn Slack said Local 9 plans to seek support for the boycott from the broader labor community and the general public.

The Hilton Hotel also has contracts with the Teamster Unions and Operating Engineers. UNITE HERE and the Teamsters are members of the Change to Win union federation.