No sooner had the sun risen over the Oakland hills this morning than protestors started gathering outside of Emeryville's boycotted Woodfin Suites Hotel. And by about 8:00 AM (a time when some, including yours truly, might otherwise be snoozing), the crowd had swelled to over 60 workers, residents, and community members. Our early morning message, carried on placards and sung in chants, was clear: Woodfin needs to wake up and obey a court order to pay up some $200,000 in back wages, owed to dozens of working immigrant mothers.

As we reported last month, Superior Court Judge Steven Brick has ordered Woodfin to do just that, rejecting all of the hotel's legal arguments. And speaking of court, just this week, a move by the hotel provoked fresh anger on the part of Emeryville residents. Turns out Woodfin just filed a brief in support of an appeal demanding the City of Emeryville pay the hotel approximately $500,000 in legal fees. (Yes, the comma's in the right place. We're talking about 6 figures.) Flabbergasted Emeryville resident Juanita Caroll Young had this to say:

The Woodfin spends years recklessly trying to undermine a voter-approved living wage law, and now they want a $500,000 "bailout" from taxpayer funds? I'm strengthening my resolve to support the boycott and walk the picket line with the workers.

Read more in EBASE's latest news release. And please don't patronize the Woodfin! Here are some alternatives.

About Jon Rodney

Jon Rodney is the Communications Manager for EBASE, workingeastbay.org.