The waiters, waitresses, and cooks of San Francisco were first organized in 1863, three years before the first official American Federation of Labor (AFL) local union of catering trade workers was formed. Waiters in the city’s restaurants and hotels struck that year for higher wages with board included. San Francisco restaurant and hotel owners organized the “Restaurant Proprietor’s Association” to combat the “Waiters’ Union Benevolent Society.” The city’s waiters and the restaurant owners have been organized in varying forms ever since. At the national level, the American Federation of Labor’s Hotel and Restaurant Employees and Bartenders International Union (HREBIU) was chartered in 1891 under its original name, “Waiters and Bartenders National Union.”

Prior to the formation of a local branch of HREBIU in San Francisco, culinary workers worked twelve-hour days, seven days a week, for low wages. The Cooks and Waiters Union Local 30 was chartered on January 21, 1901. Union membership grew “…at the rate of 100 per week…” and in April of that year Local 30 boasted 2,462 members. One month later Local 30 struck for better pay, a shorter day and a shorter week. The continuous cooks and waiters strike and the determined opposition from the San Francisco Restaurant Keepers Association (assisted by the new Employer Association of San Francisco and backed by the Citizens Alliance) set the scene for broader labor unrest in July, when Teamsters struck and a general strike followed. The general strike of 1901 as a whole was not won outright, but the cooks and waiters won a wage scale, a ten hour day, and one day’s rest in seven. Membership continued to increase, and in Fall 1902, the flourishing Cooks and Waiters Local 30 was divided into four unions: Waiters Local 30, Bartenders Local 41, Cooks Local 44, and Cooks Helpers Local 110. A Local Joint Executive Board (LJEB) was established to oversee the unions and “coordinate collective bargaining with employers.”

In 1906 Waitresses Local 48 was chartered. In 1937 Hotel Service Workers Local 283 was chartered, composed of bellhops, porters, janitors, and other hotel workers. These six branches of the HREBIU went through a variety of jurisdictional and name transformations in their century long drive to organize all restaurant and hotel workers in San Francisco. All the locals merged in October 1975 to become HERE Local 2.

Union charters, mergers, and jurisdictions 1901 Cooks and Waiters Union Local 30 chartered 1902 Waiters Union Local 30 chartered Bartenders Union Local 41 chartered Cooks Union Local 44 chartered Cooks Helpers Union Local 110 chartered Local Joint Executive Board established 1906 Waitresses Union Local 48 chartered 1916 Local 110 expands jurisdiction to become Miscellaneous Workers Union Local 110 1916 Local 30 expands jurisdiction to become Waiters and Dairy Lunchmens Union Local 30 1924 Local 44 expands jurisdiction to become Cooks, Pastry Cooks and Assistants Union Local 44 1937 Hotel Service Workers Union Local 283 chartered 1956 Local 110 expands jurisdiction to become Miscellaneous Culinary and Bar Employees Union Local 110 1974 Local 30 and Local 48 merge to become Dining Room Employees Union Local 9 1975 Local 9, Local 41, Local 44, Local 110, and Local 283 merge to become Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees Union Local 2

The waiters, waitresses, and cooks of San Francisco were first organized in 1863, three years before the first official American Federation of Labor (AFL) local union of catering trade workers was formed. Waiters in the city’s restaurants and hotels struck that year for higher wages with board included. San Francisco restaurant and hotel owners organized the “Restaurant Proprietor’s Association” to combat the “Waiters’ Union Benevolent Society.” The city’s waiters and the restaurant owners have been organized in varying forms ever since. At the national level, the American Federation of Labor’s Hotel and Restaurant Employees and Bartenders International Union (HREBIU) was chartered in 1891 under its original name, “Waiters and Bartenders National Union.”

Prior to the formation of a local branch of HREBIU in San Francisco, culinary workers worked twelve-hour days, seven days a week, for low wages. The Cooks and Waiters Union Local 30 was chartered on January 21, 1901. Union membership grew “…at the rate of 100 per week…” and in April of that year Local 30 boasted 2,462 members. One month later Local 30 struck for better pay, a shorter day and a shorter week. The continuous cooks and waiters strike and the determined opposition from the San Francisco Restaurant Keepers Association (assisted by the new Employer Association of San Francisco and backed by the Citizens Alliance) set the scene for broader labor unrest in July, when Teamsters struck and a general strike followed. The general strike of 1901 as a whole was not won outright, but the cooks and waiters won a wage scale, a ten hour day, and one day’s rest in seven. Membership continued to increase, and in Fall 1902, the flourishing Cooks and Waiters Local 30 was divided into four unions: Waiters Local 30, Bartenders Local 41, Cooks Local 44, and Cooks Helpers Local 110. A Local Joint Executive Board (LJEB) was established to oversee the unions and “coordinate collective bargaining with employers.”

In 1906 Waitresses Local 48 was chartered. In 1937 Hotel Service Workers Local 283 was chartered, composed of bellhops, porters, janitors, and other hotel workers. These six branches of the HREBIU went through a variety of jurisdictional and name transformations in their century long drive to organize all restaurant and hotel workers in San Francisco. All the locals merged in October 1975 to become HERE Local 2.

1901

Cooks and Waiters Union Local 30 chartered

1902

Cooks Helpers Union Local 110 chartered

Local Joint Executive Board established

Cooks Union Local 44 chartered

Bartenders Union Local 41 chartered

Waiters Union Local 30 chartered

1906

Waitresses Union Local 48 chartered

1916

Local 30 expands jurisdiction to become Waiters and Dairy Lunchmens Union Local 30

Local 110 expands jurisdiction to become Miscellaneous Workers Union Local 110

1924

Local 44 expands jurisdiction to become Cooks, Pastry Cooks and Assistants Union Local 44

1937

Hotel Service Workers Union Local 283 chartered

1956

Local 110 expands jurisdiction to become Miscellaneous Culinary and Bar Employees Union Local 110

1974

Local 30 and Local 48 merge to become Dining Room Employees Union Local 9

1975

Local 9, Local 41, Local 44, Local 110, and Local 283 merge to become Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees Union Local 2