Sarah Norr is a spokesperson for UNITE HERE 2850.
Sarah Norr
Dining workers at California State University, East Bay are now members of UNITE HERE Local 2850! After an exciting spring of organizing, speaking out and building campus support, the workers won union recognition on June 16th.
“I can’t hide the excitement – I feel like I’m starting a whole new job,” said six-year CSU-EB worker and organizing committee member Tatiana Lam. “I was waiting for this for so long. Now I feel like our voices will be heard.”
Sarah Norr
For three years, we’ve been looking forward to the day we could make this announcement: Castlewood workers have won their struggle for justice!
On February 13, the workers approved a great new contract that provides job security, affordable family health care, raises, and a substantial signing bonus.
“So many people told us that dishwashers and waitresses couldn’t win against a luxury golf club,” said server Jeanette Cardenas. “But we’ve learned that it doesn’t matter who you are, if you stay strong and you’re on the side of justice.”
Last weekend, cooks, dishwashers, servers and janitors from Castlewood Country Club in Pleasanton held a march and street party to mark the one-year anniversary of the Castlewood lockout
and to celebrate their historic struggle to protect their job security, their families’ health care, and their union.
Since February 25th, 2010, Castlewood has maintained a lockout of its 61 food service and janitorial workers, pressuring them to give up job security protections and pay about 40% of their wages for family health insurance.