Buffalo Hyatt Workers United is continuing its efforts to unionize, and now says one of its main organizers, Luke Sills, was suddenly fired on August 12.
Sills was employed for just over two years, and was the 2023 Employee of the Year, and front desk supervisor, when he got a call stating his termination. He believes this was retaliation for joining union efforts last summer, especially for picketing and leafletting with other employees.
Sills is accusing several members of hotel upper management of abuse and intimidation. Douglas Jemal, the owner of the hotel, is also accused of being complicit and turning a blind eye.
“When I joined the organizing committee to help organize a union at this hotel, they pulled me personally into this meeting, the general manager and the HR director, where they interrogated me, threatened me, and told me that I was going to regret getting involved in this,” alleged Sills.
On July 31, 2024, union efforts were announced in a letter to key members of the downtown hotel, including the CEO of the hotel's employee management company, Aimbridge Hospitality. A complaint was filed in October due to alleged retaliation.
“Throughout the month of September is when heads started to roll,” Sills said. “They fired a number of workers, very pro-union leaders throughout their departments.”
This week, the union filed three labor practice charges alleging violations of the National Labor Relations Act in the case of Sills' termination, including improper notice and communication. Michael Dolce, the union’s attorney, said this has the potential to be included in the National Labor Relations Board complaint against Aimbridge Hospitality, which was filed in June.
A Gissel order is also being pursued, which would legally require the companies to acknowledge and bargain with the union, even without a vote. This follows a complaint filed in November and amended in April as a result of Aimbridge Hospitality’s lack of recognition or bargaining with the union.
“The hotel is denying even the existence of a labor dispute here,” Sills said. “When they [NLRB] reached out to the hotel, the hotel said, ‘What are you talking about? There's no union organizing effort. There's no labor dispute.’”
Dolce shared that the NLRB has the ability to combine Sills' allegations with the initial complaints leading up to the hearing against Aimbridge Hospitality in October.
Mayoral candidate, State Senator Sean Ryan, expressed his support for the union, as well as several Erie County legislators during a rally.
Douglas Jemal, Steve Jarmuz, and Nicole Covert were contacted for comment, but have not replied.
