In honor of Valentine's Day, representatives of the Change to Win (CtW) Federation in Minnesota demanded the owners of the Ramada Mall of America Hotel ? formerly known as the Thunderbird Hotel ? wake up and have a heart regarding their unfair labor practices.
At 7 a.m. Tuesday, 100 CtW representatives gathered with two semi-trucks, bullhorns, whistles, drums and sirens to wake up hotel customers to the fact that new hotel owners wrongfully terminated 25 employees in December 2005.
"The Change to Win Federation is not going to stand by and silently watch a big business unfairly fire union members," stated Brad Slawson, Jr., chair of the Change to Win Federation in Minnesota and Teamsters Local 120 secretary-treasurer. "So we got out there early this morning and made some noise as a part of our demand for the new hotel owners to reinstate these workers."
UNITE HERE Local 17 says about 25 of 70 workers it represented at the hotel were similarly terminated during a purported management and ownership change. The landmark Thunderbird, with its distinctive Native American decor, became the "Ramada Mall of America."
In addition to the early and loud wakeup call, customers also received a Valentine's Day card under their door explaining that the new owners of the hotel unfairly terminated 25 workers, many who were long-term employees and some who are developmentally disabled. Customers were asked to bring the Valentine's Day cards to the hotel management and encourage them to rehire their loyal employees.
"This is not the last that the hotel will hear from the Change to Win Federation," noted Slawson, Jr. "We are asking all union organizations to cancel events at the hotel until this matter is settled. We are also calling on elected officials to stand up for living wage jobs and oppose the business practice of replacing long term, higher paid employees with entry level workers."
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Change to Win members took part in an early morning demonstration to support workers who lost their jobs at the Ramada Mall of America.Change to Win photos |
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The Change to Win Federation in Minnesota represents over 140,000 workers in the following unions: the International Brotherhood of the Teamsters, Laborers' International Union of North America, UNITE HERE, Service Employees International Union, United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, and United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America.
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In honor of Valentine’s Day, representatives of the Change to Win (CtW) Federation in Minnesota demanded the owners of the Ramada Mall of America Hotel ? formerly known as the Thunderbird Hotel ? wake up and have a heart regarding their unfair labor practices.
At 7 a.m. Tuesday, 100 CtW representatives gathered with two semi-trucks, bullhorns, whistles, drums and sirens to wake up hotel customers to the fact that new hotel owners wrongfully terminated 25 employees in December 2005.
“The Change to Win Federation is not going to stand by and silently watch a big business unfairly fire union members,” stated Brad Slawson, Jr., chair of the Change to Win Federation in Minnesota and Teamsters Local 120 secretary-treasurer. “So we got out there early this morning and made some noise as a part of our demand for the new hotel owners to reinstate these workers.”
UNITE HERE Local 17 says about 25 of 70 workers it represented at the hotel were similarly terminated during a purported management and ownership change. The landmark Thunderbird, with its distinctive Native American decor, became the “Ramada Mall of America.”
In addition to the early and loud wakeup call, customers also received a Valentine’s Day card under their door explaining that the new owners of the hotel unfairly terminated 25 workers, many who were long-term employees and some who are developmentally disabled. Customers were asked to bring the Valentine’s Day cards to the hotel management and encourage them to rehire their loyal employees.
“This is not the last that the hotel will hear from the Change to Win Federation,” noted Slawson, Jr. “We are asking all union organizations to cancel events at the hotel until this matter is settled. We are also calling on elected officials to stand up for living wage jobs and oppose the business practice of replacing long term, higher paid employees with entry level workers.”
![]() |
Change to Win members took part in an early morning demonstration to support workers who lost their jobs at the Ramada Mall of America.
Change to Win photos |
![]() |
The Change to Win Federation in Minnesota represents over 140,000 workers in the following unions: the International Brotherhood of the Teamsters, Laborers’ International Union of North America, UNITE HERE, Service Employees International Union, United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, and United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America.
Related article
No room at Ramada Inn for longtime employees