UNITE HERE Launches Website Aimed at Prospective Buyers of Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn

May 12, 2023 at 17:31 PM EDT

Website Includes Information About Labor Dispute, Human Capital Management, and More

The hotel workers’ union UNITE HERE has launched a website to inform prospective buyers of the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn that the hotel is facing a labor dispute, human capital management issues, and a regional labor shortage.

Workers at the luxury resort in Sonoma Wine Country are organizing to join the UNITE HERE Local 2 union. Wages at the hotel are substantially inferior to those of union workers at union Fairmont hotels just fifty miles away. For example, housekeepers at the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn make $21, compared to $28.10 at the Fairmont San Francisco.

The website notes that a recent investigation by Region 20 of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) found evidence sufficient to support a complaint regarding Local 2's allegations of 43 labor law violations at the hotel. The investigation found merit to Local 2’s allegations that hotel management had threatened workers for engaging in union activity, illegally interrogated employees about their union activities, and illegally promised benefits to workers if they rejected the union.

The website also informs prospective buyers about human capital management issues at the property. Workers at the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn have reported understaffing and other issues with human capital management at the hotel that have led to guests having to wait for services, difficulty maintaining cleanliness standards, work not being completed, or work being completed by someone who is not trained for the job. See the website for specifics.

Another section on the website informs prospective buyers that the hotel is facing a regional labor shortage. Sonoma County business and civic leaders say that labor and supply shortages, the cost of living, high interest rates, and the need for affordable housing could slow growth in the region.

The website also includes reviews of the resort and encourages guests to share their own reviews.

The Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn is currently owned by Brookfield Asset Management and operated by the French hospitality company Accor.

UNITE HERE Local 2 is the hospitality workers’ union in the San Francisco Bay Area, representing over 15,000 workers at hotels, restaurants, tech cafeterias, sports stadiums, SFO, OAK, and more.