Three employees of the Shore Hotel in Santa Monica have been compensated nearly $100,000 in back pay as part of a settlement of a complaint filed by the General Counsel’s Office of the National Labor Relations Board last year.
“In December the hotel settled with the three workers, rescinding their disciplines and agreeing to pay a total of over $98,000 in back pay and front pay in lieu of reinstatement. Management agreed to prominently display in the hotel the NLRB Notice to Employees so all workers can read about the settlement,” according to a press release issued Tuesday by the regional chapter of the hospitality workers’ union, UNITE HERE Local 11.
The statement issued by UNITE HERE notes that the three workers named in the settlement were engaged in union activities when they were allegedly targeted.
“The three workers, Jonah Breslau, Krista Fonseca and Felecia Scott, were all involved in a drive to unionize the hotel. Under federal labor law workers have the right to participate in union activity without being threatened, intimidated or singled out,” according to the press release.
“The notice states that management will not interrogate employees about union activity, make coercive statements to employees, engage in surveillance of employees participating in union activity, and threaten employees for engaging in union activity, among other commitments,” the release said.
UNITE HERE’s announcement came a day before a Planning Commission meeting at which the Commission will consider granting a conditional use permit to a restaurant operator hoping to operate out of the ground floor of the Shore Hotel building on Second Street.
The Planning Commission discussion is actually a continuation from a January meeting in which Planning Commission Chair Richard McKinnon expressed reservations about the Shore’s operations, claiming that the hotel is operating without proper permits.
In its press release, UNITE HERE also announced plans to hold a press conference in front of City Hall shortly before the Planning Commission meeting.
