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Card Check
The lodging industry is committed to protecting workers' rights, including the right to join unions and approve their labor contracts through a fair and federally-supervised private ballot election.
SUMMARY OF CARD CHECK
Legislation is being considered by Congress this session that would strip from workers their right to vote in determining their representation, their wages and benefits. This violates the spirit of established federal law, and it opens the process to fraud and abuse.
One of the key elements of federal labor law is the right of workers to participate in a private ballot election - the same method used to elect Members of Congress - other public officials and even union leadership, to decide their workplace representation and the conditions of their employment. Workers also have the right to review and vote in private ballot elections on negotiated labor contract that would determine the condition of their employment.
This legislation, the so-called "Employee Free Choice Act," under consideration in the 110th Congress (H.R. 800 in the House of Representatives and S. 1041 in the Senate) would strip employees of their rights to vote in private ballot elections in determining their workplace representation and conditions.
Among other things, the legislation would:- Strip away a worker's right to a federally supervised private ballot election and replace it with a process called "card check" where workers are forced to choose in public their preference for workplace representation; and
- Allows government-appointed interest mediators to impose contracts and working conditions on workers and employers if the employer does not agree to union demands and then prevents workers from approving those conditions.
- 89 percent believe having a federally-supervised secret ballot election is the best way to protect the individual rights of workers, and that same percentage says a worker's vote to organize a union should remain private.
- 73 percent of Republicans and 70 percent of Democrats would be less likely to vote for a Member of Congress who voted in favor of taking away a worker's right to a federally supervised secret ballot election.
In addition, small businesses do not have labor attorneys on staff to identify or defend against labor law violations if their employees come under assault.
Hoteliers believe their employees deserve better than having their rights eliminated. -
Energy Policy
Today's high energy costs are impacting American hotels and their guest's ability to travel. Congress needs to enact policies that produce more new energy resources and encourage conservation of our existing energy supplies.
SUMMARY OF ENERGY POLICY
Energy has become the biggest issue in America. And for good reason: besides today's high petroleum costs, we will need more energy sources over the next 20 years if we are to sustain our nation's economic growth..
The U.S. hospitality industry spends almost 4 billion dollars each year on energy to power everything from guest room lights to golf course maintenance equipment. We depend on affordable energy to maintain a superlative standard of comfort for our guests and employees.
The industry is also a leader in environmentally-friendly energy policies. Its members have taken proactive steps to reduce energy consumption and developing green programs and policies. The industry is implementing sustainable solutions which meets consumer business demands and improves the health of our planet. Over the last few years the AH&LA Good Earthkeeping Alliance has provided green energy strategies that benefit the lodging community and the community's health.
The U.S. hotel and lodging industry does not exist in a vacuum. Our business successes are linked to the overall health of the American economy. The high costs of petroleum fuels are affecting our business from a number of directions. Besides direct purchases of goods and services by hotels, the industry is dependent on business travel budgets and the ability of Americans to take affordable vacations. Both of these categories are influenced by the overall health of the national economy. And when Americans can't afford to travel because they are spending a record-breaking amount of money for energy this year, that decision will affect our members.
For hotel operators, the increased cost of fuel adds to an ever-increasing cost of running a business. Increased costs and reduced visitation are forcing business operators to make difficult decisions such as reducing or delaying hiring staff.
For many years, Congress has been engaged in debate over our national energy policy. 2005 saw the enactment of the last major energy bill, the Energy Policy Act. Since then, we have seen a meteoric rise in gasoline prices, an increase in electricity costs, and continued worries over where our nation will find its future energy supplies.
Congress must put aside partisan bickering and quickly find solutions to our immediate energy problems. And when Congress returns for work in 2009, it needs to begin a serious debate about where our nation will derive its energy supplies over the next 20 and 30 years. -
Green Initiatives
The American hotel lodging industry is a leader in the energy conservation movement to reduce operating costs and provide a cleaner environment for the nation.
SUMMARY OF GREEN INITIATIVES
Green is the buzzword of the lodging industry, and AH and LA is at the forefront of this issue. The industry is banding together to find sustainable solutions meeting both consumer business demands and improving the health of our planet.
Resources are available on variety of areas, including certifications, services, and programs to accommodate the diverse array of hoteliers that constitute our membership base. Initiatives include creating a LEED-certified rating system specific to the industry, identifying reputable third-party green certification programs, working with the meeting planning community to create green parameters, and providing industry best practices.
The AH and LA Good Earthkeeping Alliance, comprised of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Britain's Prince of Wales, the U.S. Dept. of Energy's (DOE) ENERGY STAR program, and Green Key (among others), provides green implementation strategies to benefit the lodging community.
The hotel industry uses a lot of energy. In 2005, our industry spent around 4 billion to provide light and heat to our facilities, fuel our restaurant kitchen stoves, gas up our courtesy shuttles and golf carts, and power a myriad of other modern conveniences and critical infrastructure machines and devices.
So going green is not just about environmental sensitivity-it is also an essential part of lowering a hotel's operating costs.
From small, limited-service properties to deluxe accommodations, a range of properties have found innovative means to make "going green" work for their bottom line. -
H-2B Program
Access to seasonal workers to fill temporary positions during peak business periods is critical to the American lodging industry.
SUMMARY OF H-2B VISA ISSUE
Personal service is the lifeblood of the lodging industry; it cannot be automated, it cannot be outsourced. Without an adequate number of workers, a hotel or resort simply cannot operate.
During the peak season, hotels and resorts must increase their workforces with temporary staff in order to support their full-time staff and provide service to the increased number of guests. These temporary workers are crucial to their ability to operate properties during peak seasons and retain full-time staff year round.
Without employees to fill temporary positions, hoteliers are faced with cutting back on the services to guests (a potentially fatal option for a hotel), cancelling special events guests expect, not opening portions of their property, and having to lay off full-time staff.
The H-2B program was created to allow short-term international workers to fill temporary jobs when no other workers can be found. In order to qualify for the program, an employer must be approved by four government agencies and must prove that the business has a need for temporary workers, extensive recruitment for workers was unsuccessful, and the position offers no less than the federal prevailing wage.
The number of workers allowed to participate in the program is limited to 66,000, regardless of the actual needs of the economy, and participants are required to return home when their temporary work period expires. In fiscal years 2004 and 2005, the 66,000 cap was reached six months and three months into the years, respectively. Hoteliers who have peak seasons in the spring and summer were effectively prevented from obtaining the labor they need because employers cannot apply for these workers prior to 120 days of their need.
In 2005, Congress recognized the critical role the H-2B program serves and overwhelmingly approved the Save Our Small and Seasonal Businesses Act (SOSSBA). The legislation divided the annual cap of 66,000 in two, with 33,000 reserved for the first half of the fiscal year, and the remaining number available for the second half. SOSSBA also temporarily exempted from the cap prior H-2B workers who have participated in the program in one of the previous three years, and successfully complied with all program requirements. Congress renewed the returning exemption once, but it expired on September 30, 2007. -
Travel and Tourism Promotion
Congress is embracing the idea that America's travel process should be the most secure in the world, while simultaneously the most efficient, effective, and traveler-friendly.ISSUE SUMMARY
The elimination of the United States Travel and Tourism Administration (USTTA) in the 1990s created a critical need for a new national tourism organization. The 1995 White House Conference on Travel and Tourism recommended the establishment of a public/private national tourism organization to fill the void created by the loss of the USTTA and be responsible for promoting and marketing the inbound travel market.
In the 104th Congress (1995-96), legislation was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Clinton establishing, with a federal charter, the United States National Tourism Organization (USNTO) to promote travel to the United States. A United States Tourism Board also was formed as a result of this legislation, and AH &LA representatives occupy five of the 48 board seats. On September 30, 1999, the USNTO Board voted to disband if Congress did not act to authorize funds for tourism promotion by the end of calendar year 1999. That legislation was not approved, and the USNTO has suspended operations.
In the present 110th Congress, the Travel Promotion Act (S. 1661), introduced by Sens. Daniel Inouye (D-HI), Byron Dorgan (D-ND), and Ted Stevens (R-AK), establishes the Corporation for Travel Promotion as a nonprofit corporation promoting the U.S as a valuable travel destination for international visitors, and counter and correct misperceptions regarding U.S. travel policy. It also authorizes the federal government, if a fully automated electronic system is implemented, to determine in advance of travel the eligibility of an alien to travel to the United States, to charge an applicant a system use fee, and establishes in the Department of Commerce the Office of Travel Promotion to be headed by the Under Secretary of Commerce for Travel Promotion. The bill was passed out of the Senate Commerce Committee in June 2007 and currently has 49 cosponsors.
In the House, Reps. William Delahunt (D-MA) and Roy Blunt (R-MO) introduced H.R. 3232 as a companion bill to the Senate legislation. The legislation was pending in the Committees on Energy and Commerce, the Judiciary, and Homeland Security, and currently has 244 cosponsors. The full House Energy and Commerce Committee approved H.R. 3232 on a voice vote in its last markup of the regular session on September 23, 2008. The House passed the bill on a voice vote late in the evening of September 25, 2008. The bill's fate in the Senate this session remains uncertain. If the bill is not voted on by the Senate, sponsors plan on reintroducing the bill in the 111th Congress to capitalize on this year's successes.
AH&LA strongly supports both pieces of legislation, and members of the House and Senate are urged to sign on as cosponsors. The travel and tourism industry is a significant contributor to the national economy, and passage of this legislation would provide an even greater economic boost at a time when it is critically needed.
Urge your Member of Congress to support lodging-friendly legislation
by contacting them directly via email. If you're not sure who your
member of Congress or what to write, we'll provide you with their
contact information and a form letter hitting all the important points.
This section is for AH&LA members only. You will be directed to another
Website where you'll need to enter your AH&LA password.
If you've forgotten your password, email membership@ahla.com.
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