(CNS) Posted July 22, 2010 - 3.54pm
A stretch of Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood will be closed today because of a demonstration against the Hyatt Hotels Corp. by unionized hotel workers and their allies.
Sunset Boulevard will be closed between La Cienega Boulevard and Sweetzer Avenue at 4:30 p.m. and reopened when the protest concludes, according to Bonnie Smith, West Hollywood's public safety coordinator.
The demonstration organized by UNITE HERE Local 11, the Los Angeles branch of the hospitality workers union, will be held from 5 p.m. - 6:30 p.m., Leigh Shelton, the local's communications coordinator, told City News Service.
Metro announced that its Line 2 bus will be rerouted.
The protestors plan to block a stretch of Sunset Boulevard in front of the Andaz West Hollywood and conduct red carpet-style interviews and a brief song-and-dance performance to protest job cuts and elimination of health care benefits in the Hyatt chain, Shelton said.
"We certainly don't want to ruin anyone's day,' Shelton said.
"A big part of our message is we want to show the working people in this community there are mechanisms for you to fight back. You just don't have to take it.'
Up to 100 people are planning to be arrested, Shelton said.
Similar protests are also planned at Hyatt hotels in 14 other cities in the United States and Canada, Shelton said.
The Andaz West Hollywood released a statement, saying that Hyatt "has been participating in union contract negotiations in good faith for nearly a year in several markets across the country' and honoring its contracts.
"In contrast to the respect Hyatt is showing for the negotiation process, union leadership has chosen to stage disruptive demonstrations,' the statement said.
"We believe it would be more effective for everyone to meet at the bargaining table to find solutions of the important issues affecting our associates and Hyatt's business.'
The statement also called for "understanding that Andaz West Hollywood is still a new business and we are in recovery from what has been the most difficult economic environment in decades.'
