UNITE HERE

From Freepedia

UNITE HERE is a result of a 2004 merger of two American labor unions: the Union of Needletrades, Industrial, and Textile Employees (UNITE) and the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees Union (HERE). The union represents 440,000 active members in the hotel, textile, laundry and gaming industries.

The general president of UNITE HERE is Bruce S. Raynor, formerly the president of UNITE. John L. Wilhelm, the former president of HERE serves as president of the hospitality division. Under the leadership of Mike Casey, UNITE HERE is currently engaged in a dispute with various hotels in the San Francisco Bay Area.

In 2005, UNITE HERE withdrew from the AFL-CIO and joined the Change to Win Coalition, along with several other unions, including the Teamsters and SEIU. UNITE HERE Vice-President Edgar Romney was elected the first secretary-treasurer of the new labor federation.