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Going Gaga Over Workers’ Rights
Lady Gaga recently made an unexpected appearance at the Westin Saint Francis hotel in San Francisco—in the form of a flash mob singing a pro-worker version of lyrics to her “Bad Romance.” Replete with tuba, trombone, snare drum and a couple dozen dancing activists, the group materialized in the hotel’s lobby to denounce the chain’s poor treatment of its employees and urge people to “Boycott, boycott,” this “bad, bad hotel.”
Sponsored by the San Francisco chapter of Pride At Work, an AFL-CIO constituency group for LGBTQ workers, the action demonstrated support for the more than 9,000 workers in the area who have been working without a contract since August 2009 at several Hyatt, Hilton, Starwood and InterContinental Hotels (the Westin is owned by Starwood). The activists created the song and dance routine to tell the hundreds of thousands of LGBTQ people from across the country coming to San Francisco in June for Pride Week to honor the worker-called boycott.
After repeated attempts at negotiations, hotel management is trying to deny the workers, members of UNITEHERE! Local 2, affordable, quality health care. As San Francisco Pride At Work notes:
This is despite soaring profits at these multinational corporations. The Starwood Corporation made $180 million in profit in the first nine months of 2009. The Hyatt Corporation generated $950 million for its majority owner—the Pritzker family, and Hilton Hotels recently announced that they have $12.6 billion in available capital to invest in new high-asset ventures over the next several years.
The musical show of solidarity didn’t stop at the Westin. The group snake-danced their way out of the lobby and went on to perform the same skit at the Grand Hyatt down the block.
After all:
Boycott, boycott!
Workers’ rights are hot!
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9 Comments
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Lady Gaga is a talentless hack who perpetuates sexist stereotypes. In no way should labor give her or her lame songs any credence. So what if she is popular? At one time, so was Steppin’ Fetchit and GW Bush.
These are the type of antics that give unions a bad name. Picket outside but don’t invade private property and annoy guests. I’m ashamed to be a union member when I see idiotic behavior like this.
Skeptic, the old, boring ways are neither effective or fulfilling. Besides, what makes you think that the companies are following any rules?
If musicians, actors, football players, whatever want to show solidarity with the labor movement, I say; SO BE IT!
ChicanoWobby is dead on. If you want people under the age of 30 to give a damn about unions then you better figure out ways to get their attention. If you haven’t noticed, the general public, especially the young, are completely ignorant of what unions are. what they do know is usually rumor or myth perpetuated by anti-union corporate apologists. I can’t begin to understand the appeal of Lady Gaga but if she gets the attention of the internet generation, I’m all for it.
Your right facts_not_fear and ChicanoWobbly. I’m 24 and believe that any “musician” that has to overdress and costume theirselves are over compensating for their lack of talent but right now people of my generation and younger are consumerised airheads and they need something to bring them down to Earth. For me it was living in NE Kansas City, MO for 8 years from the quaint and repressed well off suburban Leavenworth, KS. I personally saw what deindustrialisation, reagans dismantling of LBJ’s great society, and corporate pigs refusal to pay their share of taxes can do. But no one is going to do this voluntarily. You have to reel them in. And the reminder that big musicians and TV stars only get that money because they are union is a good start.
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Brilliant. This doesn’t give unions a bad name. It shows what can happen when people stick together. I’m also sure that the hotel was happier that this was a 5 minute show and that there wasn’t an informational picket out in front of their hotel. In this day and age we have to think outside the box and these people did it!! I’m proud to be a union member more than ever.
Good on you guys for trying something catchy and new. Lets not box ourselves in with the same old tactics – be creative – I enjoyed the story and any of these stories that show members using grassroots means to improve our situation.
Congrats…keep it up!
As far as I’m concerned, she could do a LADY GODIVA routine, if she shows support for brothers & sisters, we could more help from other unions.
Exactly what needs to be done!Businesses who mistreat their workers should be boycotted by the public.It’s workers who help make the businesses run and therefore deserve a LIVING WAGE and decent benefits!