TCLA: Bill of Rights: Features: 5: Doubletree Protests: Interviews

Betty: I am Betty Guardado, Union Organizer for Local 11 and I used to be a housekeeper for __________, which is one of our union hotels, and I am one of the organizers for the Doubletree campaign. I am organizing the housekeeping department and the laundry.

Betty: We need to change the standards in Santa Monica. We only have two union hotels--the Miramar and the Pacific Courts. We are also organizing the Loews Hotel. The reason why this organizing is really important is because the hotel is on school board property, which is really important for the school because the hotel is taking a lot of funds with them that I think should belong to the students at Santa Monica High school. That is the reason why we are here today because we know that the hotel is also keeping money from the students and treating the workers really bad and not giving them a living wage and free health insurance.

Sebastian: How effective do you think this is going to be? Do you think it is going to work? Is it really going to change anything?

Betty: Yes, things are going to change. We have never been in a fight that we haven't won. We have always won every fight and we know that we are going to win this fight also. How long is this going to take? I don't know, but we do know that we are going to win.

Interview with Martina Mercedez Rodríguez ( Spanish teacher at Santa Monica High School)

Martina: Martina Mercedez Rodríguez and I am a high school Spanish teacher at Santa Monica High School.

Martina: I am very excited to have brought my students to meet Dolores Huerta, a very wonderful and historical person. I am excited because this is an important event for everyone to be aware of. People need to be aware of the historical events still going on now.

Sebastian: Why do you think that it is important that the students participate in this?

Martina: It is very important so they are educated and know what is going on because in a few years it could be them or family members in the same position. That way they know what the process is and how to go about defending their rights and helping others. We need to be here and learn how to give everyone a hand. It can't just be about ourselves.

Derrick: Derrick Smith and I am a community organizer with a group called SMART.

Derrick: Well, it is always important to have an active labor leader like Dolores Huerta to talk to students about the struggles of César Chavez and the farm workers. In addition, I think it is more than that. Students know about the situation that is existing at the Doubletree Hotel which is a continuation of everything that Chavez ever fought for, including Dolores herself.

Sebastian: Are you confident that this is going to make a difference and make a change?

Derrick: In terms of the Doubletree—the hotel is on school board property and the students have a right to know what is going on on that property. And the workers need to know that the students support them. That is what the march is about—that students are taking it upon themselves to march to the Doubletree to demonstrate support. What the workers are going through is critical because they tend to think that they are isolated inside their hotel and for them to know that the community, especially the student community, is supporting them means an awful lot.

Vivian: My name is Vivian Rothstein and I am with SMART, Santa Monica Alliance for Responsible Tourists.

Vivian: I’m here because I’m really excited that students are getting involved in issues of workers rights. And for about the last five years there has been a movement in Santa Monica to try to improve conditions, wages, benefits and rights for hotel workers in Santa Monica. So I’m here because students are getting involved, particularly to support workers at the Doubletree hotel.

Sebastian: Do you think this is going to be successful and make a difference?

Vivian: I think it always makes a difference when people learn about workers conditions and what’s going on for their fellow human beings and to take some action.

George: My name is George Acosta and I am a teacher at Santa Monica High School.

George: I am here to support the Doubletree workers. I know they have been trying to organize a union for a long time and I’m here to show my support for their efforts because I really believe in the power of the unions.

Sebastian: Why do you think it’s important that Santa Monica students, along with teachers, join in this?

George: The Doubletree property is really part of our property, district property, and that kind of puts us in the position of being the landlord. So I think it’s important for us to let them know that if they’re not going to treat their workers right it’s not ok with us as people who live and work in the community.

Sebastian: Are you confident that this will be successful in making a change?

George: Yes, I am. Maybe not today, maybe today we won’t see any immediate results, but I think in the long run it will definitely be a success.

Mr. Serna: My name is Mr. Serna I’m a former teacher at Samohi. I work with the Pico-Union Family center, I’m a professor at Cal State Northridge. Police officers have just blocked off the walk for the demonstrators, but we’re being peaceful and just facing off with the police.

Mr. Serna: Because the Doubletree got a sweetheart deal with the school district and they’re leasing Samohi property and they’re exploiting workers in the same move. So we’re here to fight for a lot of Mexicano-Latino workers rights who get exploited all the

Sebastian: Can you tell why you think it’s important for students to be here?

Mr. Serna: Because a lot of students have parents in the same position. I know my parents were in the same position, working for low wages, no benefits and that’s why we’re out here demonstrating. And it’s just overall justice, everyone should have human dignity.

Anna: My name is Anna Hera and I am with no specific organization. I am a student at UCLA.

Sebastian: Can you tell me why you’re here and why you think this is important?

Anna: I think it’s important for us to stand up for our rights no matter what the oppression is.

Anna: I feel very strongly about it. It gives me hope for the future because they’re actually becoming aware of what rights they actually have.

Sebastian: How do you feel about the city’s response and the Doubletree’s response?

Anna: I feel like it’s completely unnecessary and to me it’s amazing to see that the cops are actually guarding the hotel as opposed to the actual citizens of the city.

Sebastian: The delegation team was kicked out and not allowed to speak. How do you feel about that?

Anna: I feel that that is completely absurd. They should at least be given a chance to speak. That’s what we’re here for, for our rights.

^tcla

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Sebastian Cantero and Angela Rivera are both students at Santa Monica High.