EBASE campaign exposes corruption at the Woodfin Hotel

On June 14^th, EBASE announced a political corruption scandal – revealed by the San Francisco Bay Guardian – in which Woodfin 

owner Samuel Hardage used his political influence as a Republican Party leader and donor to persuade Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to investigate his very own hotel and workers. ICE then audited the Emeryville Woodfin Suites, despite its own written policy not to interfere in labor disputes. This revelation undermines the Woodfin's claim that it had no choice but to fire its workers after they began standing up for their rights under Emeryville's Measure C living wage ordinance for hotel housekeepers.

During the same week, the City of Emeryville finally completed its investigation of Woodfin workers' complaints of violations under Measure C and issued the Woodfin a conditional operating permit that orders the hotel to take the following actions by July 31:

• Pay back wages to over 50 housekeepers. Several workers would get about $10,000.
• Pay the twelve fired workers back wages for the two weeks that they were fired in violation of the City's urgency ordinance.
• Pay the City a fine of $31,500 for failure to produce documents on time or at all.
• Pay the City a permit fee of $12,125 which includes the City's staff time to process the application.

To get the latest Woodfin update, to make a donation to the Living Wage Hardship fund for fired workers, or to have your organization "adopt a day" on the picket line, call EBASE at 510-893-7106, ext. 27 or, visit the EBASE website at www.workingeastbay.org.