Zach Carlson at People’s World reports that in Bloomington-Normal, Illinois, Laborers Local 362 (LiUNA) started picketing the Uptown Marriott Hotel in mid-November as a force of Non-Union renovation contractors started their workday.  However, what at first seemed to be a simple picket against using Non-Union labor at the Mariott has now turned out to be something much bigger.  The Hotel Giant hired Edelman Construction Incorporated from Missouri to do the work on its Normal branch.  The Twin Cities of Bloomington and Normal are about three hours northeast of St. Louis - quite a way away from Missouri where there is no shortage of skilled Laborers who could have done Marriott’s renovations.  LiUNA had an Organizer speak to the Non-Union Workers at the Marriott and discovered Edelman Construction brought them in from all over the country, from as far away as California, Nevada and Texas.  The Workers are on-the-job seven days a week while the hotel is still open.  The Union Organizer also learned the Workers were not receiving overtime, were not receiving a per diem, extra payment or funds to cover lodging and/or food.  In fact, he found that they’re actually just being housed at their worksite - in the hotel.  It was also observed the Workers were not provided any obvious Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) such as gloves, safety glasses and masks or respirators despite being required to perform heavy demolition work.  When Union Organizers attempted to visit the contracted Workers the next day, they found they’d been ordered not to talk to them anymore.

To Continue Reading This Labor News Report, Go To: Illinois unions discover Marriott imported non-union contractors from around the country – People's World

Photo Courtesy Of The Bloomington-Normal Trades and Labor Assembly’s Facebook Page.