BEI Hotel workers on strike against food operation outsourcing and layoffs

(SAN FRANCISCO) 70 workers were on strike at the BEI Hotel San Francisco, a Chinese state-owned hotel, during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit week to protest against the hotel management outsourcing its food operation and layoff 18 workers from the kitchen.

BEI Hotel is located at 50 8th Street which is next to the San Francisco Civic Center and in the heart of the newly developed tech companies hub in the mid Market Street area. The hotel was formerly known as the Holiday Inn for several decades.

According to the workers of the BEI Hotel, many of the workers have started to be employed by the Holiday Inn for decades and continued to work under the new name since 2018.

The BEI Hotel is owned by the Beijing Tourism Group, a Chinese state-owned enterprise managed by a subsidiary of the government of Beijing, according to the workers and the Local 2 Hotel Union.

BEI Hotel was renovated and opened in 2018 before the COVID pandemic. Almost half of the workers are Chinese American immigrants and many of them have worked at the hotel under both names.

70 workers began a strike during the entire week of the APEC Summit, November 13 to 17, which was held at the nearby Moscone Center. The picket lines ran from 6am to 10pm daily within the APEC week outside the hotel on 8th and Market Streets. The workers did not target the APEC Summit week to take actions, but the strike occurred at the same time.

"The BEI management took further action recently to cancel the food service for the hotel workers that made the workers go on strike to protest against the decision," said Ted Waechter, spokesperson of Unite Here Local 2 union which represents the hotel workers.

BEI Hotel had operated its own restaurant by hiring 18 workers, according to the workers. Earlier this year, the management decided to close the restaurant and ordered food for the customers and workers from outside food prepared companies.

All the 18 restaurant workers including chefs, waiters and waitresses, and kitchen helpers were laid off due to the outsourcing.

"At least four workers have suffered diarrhea, stomach pain, or other symptoms of food poisoning since the hotel unilaterally laid off its cooks and outsourced cafeteria meals," Local 2 said in the press release.

In recent weeks, the management took further actions to cancel all food services for the customers and workers. The workers needed to bring their own meals to the hotel while they were working. Some Chinese workers said it was against the contracts for the hotel management without negotiating the cancellations with Local 2 prior.

Wind Newspaper has sent an inquiry to the hotel management. There was no response to the request for comment by press time.