Sen. Bernie Sanders delivered a fiery speech Friday in support of striking hotel workers in downtown San Diego that touched on themes he popularized during his presidential campaign.

Sanders, an independent from Vermont, came to support workers who are on strike at the Westin San Diego Gaslamp Quarter hotel.

“The fight that you are waging here. The courage you are showing here is exactly the fight that must be waged in every state of this country,” he said, prompting cheers from the crowd of roughly 100 workers.

Sanders said he and the union were sick and tired of a situation where almost all income and wealth goes to the top 1 percent of the population while working people need to work multiple jobs to survive.


“What you are wearing on your T-shirts is exactly right: One job should be enough,” he said.

Unite Here is part of a national strike targeting Marriott International unionized hotels, encompassing 7,700 workers in several cities, including Boston, San Francisco, San Jose, Oakland, Detroit and Honolulu. Marriott declined to comment for this article.

“What we are saying to Marriott, that owns Westin, and every major corporation in this country who make billions of dollars in profit: ‘Pay your workers a living wage’,” he said.

According to Unite Here Local 30, which represents the Westin hotel’s 162 workers, the union is seeking improved pay and health benefits. It has also raised concerns surrounding increasing automation that could potentially jeopardize jobs, as well as so-called “green” initiatives that let guests opt out of having their rooms cleaned.


Striking workers said they were thrilled to get someone with Sanders’ profile to show support.

“It’s amazing we actually got a senator to support our cause,” said striking worker Robert Lewis, 55, a banquet server. He said they found out about 11:20 a.m. that Sanders was coming and quickly got into action setting up a stage and contacting media.

“This is bigger than us,” Lewis said. “This is about the middle class.”

Union research analyst Rick Bates said they had been trying to get Sanders to speak for some time.


“We know that Bernie has always been there for workers,” he said. “He’s always talked about the importance of unions in this country. We couldn’t ask for anybody better.”

Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher, D-San Diego, also attended the rally and said it was a huge motivation for workers to have the senator there.

“To have someone of such national stature, such as Bernie Sanders, to come and tell them they are doing the right thing is important for them,” she said.

Sanders also touched on national issues, stating the United States would be moving in the direction of a “Medicare for all,” or single-payer health care system.


“Until we get there, we want corporations like Westin to make sure their employees have decent health care,” he told the crowd.

Sanders also said that older workers have little in retirement savings and companies should provide good pensions.

Staff writer Lori Weisberg contributed to this article.


Business

phillip.molnar@sduniontribune.com (619) 293-1891 Twitter: @phillipmolnar

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