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Measure C

 File
Identifier: Series 2

Scope and Contents

From the File:

The Woodfin Hotel section of the Campaigns series consists of material documenting Measure C, a living wage initiative drafted by EBASE, and the four year fight between hotel workers and Woodfin Hotel over the hotel's noncompliance after the measure passed. After voters approved Measure C the ordinance was challenged by Woodfin as unconstitutional. In September, 2006 workers filed suit in state court to collect the back wages that they were owed under Measure C. In the same month, Woodfin claimed they found problems with social security numbers for undocumented workers who were involved in the campaign to enforce Measure C. In December, 2006 Woodfin attempted to fire the 21 workers for "no-match" social security numbers. The court entered a temporary restraining order that restrained Woodfin from terminating employees based on "no-match" letters and investigated whether the attempt was retaliation. In 2010 Woodfin settled its backpay suit and sold the hotel to Hyatt Hotel Corporation in 2011. Folders contain legal documents, including depositions and filings, correspondence, petitions, political action plans, PR materials, administrative personnel documents, city reports, research material, and ephemera.

Dates

  • 1984-2010

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research.

Historical Note

Measure C was a private sector zoned living wage for workers in the hotel industry. Along with Woodfin Hotel, other hotels affected were Sheraton Four Points, Marriott Courtyard, and Holiday Inn. Measure C defined a living wage as $9 per hour, with an average wage of $11 per hour. It also included worker retention language, established a workload cap of 5,000 square feet per day for housekeepers, and allowed organizations doing business with hotels the ability to assist employees to file grievances for violation of the law. The success of Measure C resulted in the first private sector zoned Living Wage in the United States.

Extent

From the Series: 5 cartons

Language of Materials

From the Collection: English

Repository Details

Part of the Labor Archives and Research Center Repository

Contact:
San Francisco State University
J. Paul Leonard Library, Room 460
1630 Holloway Ave
San Francisco 94132-1722 USA
(415) 405-5571