Hotel Union Puts Pressure on State Lawmakers

The New York Hotel and Motel Trades Council is betting that its connections with state lawmakers can help resolve a union dispute on behalf of workers at the Desmond Hotel & Conference Center in Colonie, especially since Albany legislators often show up there for conferences and events. That's why the hotel union today is sending workers to the Capitol to ask legislators to boycott the Desmond and pledge their support for a "fair" contract. "We think a letter like that from electeds will have an impact in a situation like this, because a lot of business at the hotel is from trade organizations and other groups that have lobby days or other types of activities up in Albany that invite the elected officials from the Assembly and from the state Senate and from the executive to come and talk to their group or to their members," said Josh Gold, the political director of the union, which began representing the workers over a year ago. The Desmond's management, which didn't immediately respond to a request for comment, has said in the past that it has had good relations with its employees until recently.