SLEJ marches today for LAX Hilton workers
Marissa Castro
Issue date: 4/19/07 Section: News
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Four mattresses marked SLEJ's rally at Alumni Mall during convo on Tuesday, meant to raise awareness about the group's march today at the LAX Hilton on Century Blvd. for worker's rights at the hotel. Approximately 50 student demonstrators attended the event, encouraging students to boycott the Hilton as family and friends visit L.A. near commencement in May.
"We are asking LMU to cut off ties with LAX Hilton. We [currently] have business agreements with LAX Hilton," said John Weems, a sophomore philosophy major. "If we can't see God in the eyes of those Hilton LAX workers and cut local business deals [with the hotel], we aren't living up to [our] mission statement."
SLEJ members will meet today at 10 a.m. near the flagpoles and use student transportation to bring as many students as possible to the march in front of the hotel today, which will take place until 2 p.m.
"We'll be marching around the building across the street, directly in front of the building, and simultaneously there is going to be a bunch of workers out there, hopefully about 100-that's what it looked like last year-who are going to be picketing in front of the driveways and we'll also join in with that after the march," said Blake Saunders, a sophomore psychology major and president of SLEJ.
Tuesday's on-campus rally was performed in order to raise students' awareness of the daily life of workers at the hotel. Four mattresses were placed on Alumni Mall without bed sheets, and members of SLEJ acted as hotel workers cleaning rooms while Saunders narrated their lives.
"Meet Esperanza," Saunders said into the microphone. "She has worked at the LAX Hilton for 18 years…She has to clean 16 rooms in an eight-hour shift." The narration addressed the workers' poor health care benefits, difficulties financially supporting their children and dangerous exposure to harmful cleaning agents.
"We are letting them know that their customers are mindful of their practice. We are not going to tolerate their anti-labor activity," said Weems. "We are letting them know tomorrow that we are steering the ship here, as a consequence of their actions they are going to loose business here."
"We are asking LMU to cut off ties with LAX Hilton. We [currently] have business agreements with LAX Hilton," said John Weems, a sophomore philosophy major. "If we can't see God in the eyes of those Hilton LAX workers and cut local business deals [with the hotel], we aren't living up to [our] mission statement."
SLEJ members will meet today at 10 a.m. near the flagpoles and use student transportation to bring as many students as possible to the march in front of the hotel today, which will take place until 2 p.m.
"We'll be marching around the building across the street, directly in front of the building, and simultaneously there is going to be a bunch of workers out there, hopefully about 100-that's what it looked like last year-who are going to be picketing in front of the driveways and we'll also join in with that after the march," said Blake Saunders, a sophomore psychology major and president of SLEJ.
Tuesday's on-campus rally was performed in order to raise students' awareness of the daily life of workers at the hotel. Four mattresses were placed on Alumni Mall without bed sheets, and members of SLEJ acted as hotel workers cleaning rooms while Saunders narrated their lives.
"Meet Esperanza," Saunders said into the microphone. "She has worked at the LAX Hilton for 18 years…She has to clean 16 rooms in an eight-hour shift." The narration addressed the workers' poor health care benefits, difficulties financially supporting their children and dangerous exposure to harmful cleaning agents.
"We are letting them know that their customers are mindful of their practice. We are not going to tolerate their anti-labor activity," said Weems. "We are letting them know tomorrow that we are steering the ship here, as a consequence of their actions they are going to loose business here."