<html><div style='background-color:'><P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" align=center><STRONG><FONT color=#cc0000><FONT face=Verdana><SPAN class=subheader1><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt">Kick Off Rally for “Hotel Workers Rising”</SPAN></SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.0pt"><?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></FONT></STRONG></P>
<P><FONT size=2><FONT color=#333333><FONT face=Verdana><STRONG>WHAT:</STRONG> A nationwide tour to launch a new campaign to empower thousands of hotel workers in cities across <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:place w:st="on">North America</st1:place> as they work to improve their jobs and secure better lives for themselves and their families. </FONT></FONT></FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=2><FONT color=#333333><FONT face=Verdana><B>WHO:</B> </FONT></FONT></FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Verdana color=#333333 size=2>Senator John Edwards </FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Verdana color=#333333 size=2>Actor/Director Danny Glover </FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Verdana color=#333333 size=2>Mayors and other elected officials </FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Verdana color=#333333 size=2>UNITE HERE Presidents Bruce Raynor and John Wilhelm </FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Verdana color=#333333 size=2>Thousands of hotel workers </FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Verdana color=#333333 size=2>Other community, union and entertainment figures </FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=2><FONT color=#333333><FONT face=Verdana><B>WHEN:</B> </FONT></FONT></FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Verdana color=#333333 size=2>February 15, <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">San Francisco</st1:place></st1:City> </FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Verdana color=#333333 size=2>February 16, <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Los Angeles</st1:place></st1:City> </FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Verdana color=#333333 size=2>February 17, <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Chicago</st1:place></st1:City> </FONT></P>
<P><B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.0pt"><FONT color=#333333><FONT face=Verdana>February 18, <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Boston</st1:place></st1:City>, Ritz Carlton Hotel, <st1:Street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">15 Arlington St.</st1:address></st1:Street>, 11:45 AM<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></B></P>
<P><FONT size=2><FONT color=#333333><FONT face=Verdana><B>WHY:</B> </FONT></FONT></FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Verdana color=#333333 size=2>In recent decades, the hotel industry has witnessed the rapid consolidation and expansion of international hotel corporations. The hotel industry used to be dominated by local players and local markets. But today the industry is dominated by multimillion dollar global corporations. Hotel companies such as Starwood, Hilton and Marriott are present in every major city, and employ thousands of workers. </FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Verdana color=#333333 size=2>These workers—largely minority and immigrant women—work hard to create a welcoming home away from home for business travelers and tourists. But severe understaffing coupled with an increase in room amenities like heavier mattresses and linens are hurting these workers. Wages for the same jobs vary wildly from city to city, and workers find themselves fighting to make ends meet and keep important benefits like health care and retirement plans, as well as their right to organize a union. </FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Verdana color=#333333 size=2>But hotel workers are fighting back. They are uniting across <st1:place w:st="on">North America</st1:place> to send a message to hotel companies: We are determined to make our jobs safer, middle-class jobs on which we can support our families. </FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Verdana color=#333333 size=2>A recent New York Daily News opinion piece said this campaign has “the potential to be a historic turning point for the labor movement in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">America</st1:place></st1:country-region>. … [The campaign is a] test of organized labor’s ability to become a people’s movement again… .” </FONT></P><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA">For more information visit www.hotelworkersrising.org</SPAN><BR><BR><BR>
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<DIV><FONT face="Garamond, Times, Serif" size=5><STRONG>Eduardo Suárez</STRONG></FONT></DIV>
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<DIV><FONT face="Garamond, Times, Serif" color=#003399 size=3>223 Pelham Road</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Garamond, Times, Serif" color=#003399 size=3>Amherst, MA 01002</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Garamond, Times, Serif" color=#003399 size=3>413-253-0297</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Garamond, Times, Serif" color=#003399 size=3>cell-335-6224</FONT></DIV></FONT></DIV></FONT></FONT></DIV></FONT></div></html>