Boycott seems to have little effect at New Otani.

Even cab drivers at hotel feel no impact from dispute

DOWNTOWN L.A. - The labor union-initiated boycott of the New Otani Hotel & Garden has not had much of an effect on business at the property, according to the hotel and a random survey of guests and workers.

Management of the hotel said revenues are down about 1 percent since the boycott began last January. Taxi drivers who service the hotel said they thought business had actually increased in recent months.

For its part, Local 11 of the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees Union claimed the boycott has hurt business at the New Otani, even though the organization could not provide any specific figures.

"From what we have heard from people inside the hotel, business is off, particularly in the restaurant and meetings side of the hotel," said Lee Strieb, an organization spokesman.

He said he knew of several groups that have canceled events at the hotel, including Asian Enterprise magazine, the Asian Pacific American Women's Leadership Institute and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. In addition, he said groups like the Los Angeles City Attorneys Association and the Japanese American Bar Association have pledged not to hold events at the hotel.

Strieb said he did not have access to information about room occupancy but noted he has "heard" the hotel has reduced rates for some tour groups since the boycott began.

A spokesman for the hotel said five groups have canceled events at the hotel since the boycott began. He said the hotel has not reduced rates for rooms or meeting facilities since the boycott started.

Little notice

Last week, several taxi drivers who service the hotel were interviewed outside the property. They all said they either did not know about the boycott or that business has been the same, or better.

The person who operates the taxi stand outside the hotel said as far as he could see business has improved at the hotel in recent months. The taxi "starter" said "it seems to have been pretty busy recently. Whenever there's been a convention, the hotel has been filled. I see nothing from the boycott."

None of the taxi drivers wanted his name used.

Inside the hotel, guests said they either didn't know anything about the boycott or disregarded it when they booked the hotel. A group from the Los Angeles County Department of Health was conducting a seminar at the hotel.

Representatives from the department said they were aware of the boycott but it didn't make any difference to them when they booked the facility. They said service had been good and one representative noted she would likely book the hotel for an upcoming family event.

Local 11, which represents about 9,000 hotel workers in the greater Los Angeles area, announced the boycott at a much ballyhooed demonstration attended by several elected officials and business and civic leaders. The elected officials and organizations pledged they would not use the hotel for personal or business events.

Union criticizes conditions

The union, which wants to organize workers at the hotel, has said the owners and management have created "shameful" working conditions at the property. Union officials have said management has forced workers "to endure repressive conditions."

Hotel officials have denied the charges. Last week, hotel spokesman Charles Ecker said the boycott has not worked and the union has resisted holding a vote among employees on whether to organize or not.

"People want to vote but the union is scared to have a vote," said Ecker.

In a statement, Local 11 President Maria Elena Durazo, said, "We don't believe that a free and fair election is possible at the New Otani hotel, given how management's severe law-breaking anti-union campaign has frightened workers, stifled free speech and poisoned the atmosphere inside the hotel."

She said the union wants the hotel to sign a "neutrality agreement which would bring an end to the company's anti-union campaign and set up fair conditions for workers to decide whether or not to unionize."

The New Otani is a major downtown Los Angeles property with 430 rooms. It is in the Little Tokyo section of the city and caters to business travelers and tour groups from Asia, as well as meetings and banquet business generated by the nearby city, county and federal government buildings.

The hotel has 330 employees, 280 of which would be covered by Local 11.

The hotel is owned by East West Development Corp., a Japanese company controlled by Kajima, another Japanese business. The hotel is managed by New Otani Co., also a Japanese company.