Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees International Union. Local 6 (New York, N.Y.)

Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees International Union, Local 6 (now affiliated with the international union, UNITE/HERE) represents housekeeping staff, waiters, bartenders and other categories of service employees in hotel, private clubs and restaurants in the New York City area. The local grew substantially as a result of a major organizing drive in the mid-1930s, under Local president Michael J. Obermeier, and absorbed a number of smaller locals of hotel employees over the years. Significant gains came in 1938, with the signing of the first city-wide contract for hotel employees in many crafts and unions; the contract was negotiated by the newly formed umbrella group of hotel unions, the New York City Hotel Trades Council, headed by Jay Rubin. The HTC has continued to negotiate with the united employers (organized in the New York Hotel Association) on behalf of many categories of hotel employees. The Local is ethnically diverse, and has always included a high proportion of Latino workers.

Early in December 1938, a leaflet handed out in the hotels of the union – the recently created Hotel Trades Council – informed the workers that negotiations with the Hotel Association were nearing the climax:

"The negotiating committees have been in virtually continuous session since last Thursday, with meetings practically every day since. One lengthy session was held into a late hour last Tuesday night and another was in progress today."

The leaflet spread this message: "Hotel Workers! Keep your ranks solid. Stand firm!"

Two weeks later – good news in a hard winter – came another leaflet. It began simply and exultantly: "It's here!"

A years-old dream had come true. A succession of defeats had been turned into victory. The union had proved itself, and won the agreement of the Hotel Association to a contract establishing wage rates, hours and other working conditions – the first of the series of contracts that have added gain to gain and established the working conditions of today.

That first contract – discussed clause by clause and approved at a mass meeting of Union members at Manhattan Center – provided for a 48-hour, six-day work week for most workers, 54 hours for waiters and busboys. It raised wages by an average of $2, setting these typical minimum weekly rates.