Katie Campione at Deadline reports many of the major talent agencies across New York and Los Angeles have been sent a letter asking agents and their clients to boycott the Surrey Hotel in New York City, at least for now. The Hotel and Gaming Trades Council, the Union that represents about 40,000 Hotel and Gaming Workers across New York and New Jersey, sent the letter over an ongoing labor dispute with Surrey’s management. The Union is asking agents and their clients not only to refrain from booking a stay at the Surrey for the time being but also “consider how your voice, values and visibility might support workers at this moment.” The ongoing dispute began in 2020 after the Surrey was forced into bankruptcy. The hotel closed for several years as it changed ownership and underwent renovations before reopening in 2024 under the management of Corinthia Hotels. Union President Rich Maroko tells Deadline that, in the process, about 100 Union Hotel Workers lost their jobs and were not offered the chance to return upon the hotel’s reopening. He also says that the current Staff is being paid “significantly less than what they would get if they were Unionized, upwards of ($10) an hour less, with no benefits or job protections or any of the rest of it.”

For More On This Labor News Report, Go To: Top Talent Agencies Hit With Letter Asking Clients To Boycott Upscale NYC Hotel Over Ongoing Labor Dispute: "An Issue Of Gross Injustice"