Unite Here! Local 17

Unite Here! Local 17 We are Minnesota's Hospitality Union! H.E.R.E., the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees union, was formed in 1891 and merged with UNITE in 2004.

Local 17 is a branch of UNITE HERE, an International labor union that combines industrial and textile workers (the former UNITE union) and hospitality workers (the former HERE union). We have over 500,000 members in the United States and are working non-stop to organize more. In the Twin Cities area, Local 17 represents roughly 6,000 workers in hotels, restaurants, bars, caterers, cafeterias, spor

ts complexes, MSP airport, breweries, distilleries and other hospitality-related businesses. Our members are as diverse as Minnesota itself. Approximately 70% of Local 17’s members are immigrants and the majority of members are women. The members of Local 17 speak more than 17 languages and dialects We’re your parents, your neighbors, your friends and your spouses as well as the people who cook meals in restaurants, make beds in hotels, mix drinks in bars and sell hot dogs at ball games. Our members don’t just serve the community, they are the community.

Café Cerés baristas have been in bargaining since October, and we’ve already made progress we’re proud of on safety and ...
12/12/2024

Café Cerés baristas have been in bargaining since October, and we’ve already made progress we’re proud of on safety and first aid, translation and interpretation, protections for gender expression, job and discipline protections, and more.

We’ll keep pushing to get a contract with the scheduling, pay and benefits we need!

Congratulations to DNC workers at the airport for ratifying their new contract with significant wage increases, entry in...
12/10/2024

Congratulations to DNC workers at the airport for ratifying their new contract with significant wage increases, entry into a pension plan, paid parental leave, greatly reduced healthcare costs, increased vacation and personal days, and more!!

After taking a strike vote in August, DNC workers were prepared to go on strike in Minneapolis - as well as in multiple other cities across the country - before reaching a tentative agreement just days before the start of the holiday travel season.

When we fight, we win!!

The cold won’t stop us and neither will the hotel bosses. Marquette workers voted by an overwhelming 91% to authorize a ...
12/05/2024

The cold won’t stop us and neither will the hotel bosses. Marquette workers voted by an overwhelming 91% to authorize a ULP strike. One Union, One Standard!

We Brought Max Back!! When we stand together, we win.
11/22/2024

We Brought Max Back!! When we stand together, we win.

11/21/2024

Cold, Snow and Bad Bosses won't stop us! Marquette Workers held a wake-up call picket to let everyone know: NO CONTRACT NO SLEEP!!

DNC workers are ready to strike for a pension, reduced health care cost and raises to make their lives better!
11/20/2024

DNC workers are ready to strike for a pension, reduced health care cost and raises to make their lives better!

Indeed Brewing workers are STILL fighting for a fair contract! Come out Monday Evening to support them and PACK the bar....
11/16/2024

Indeed Brewing workers are STILL fighting for a fair contract! Come out Monday Evening to support them and PACK the bar. Let management know the community is with the workers!

MARQUETTE WORKERS ARE STANDING UP Last week they marched on the boss to deliver a petition demanding that they receive t...
11/11/2024

MARQUETTE WORKERS ARE STANDING UP
Last week they marched on the boss to deliver a petition demanding that they receive the same historic wage increase that the Lofton Workers have won!

One Union, One Standard!

Lofton workers have won a new contract that includes historic wage increases!!!The contract expired on May 1st, 2024 and...
11/01/2024

Lofton workers have won a new contract that includes historic wage increases!!!

The contract expired on May 1st, 2024 and the number 1 issue was wage increases coming out of COVID. The win didn’t come easy, it took months of delegations to management, actions at the negotiating table, picket marches outside of the hotel, 7am wake-up calls, flyering guests and a vote 93% “Yes” vote to strike.

All power to the the workers who have set a new standard!

First Ave union activist Max was fired over a Red Bull. Tag First Avenue & 7th St Entry and tell them to Bring Back Max!
11/01/2024

First Ave union activist Max was fired over a Red Bull. Tag First Avenue & 7th St Entry and tell them to Bring Back Max!

“First Ave is so cheap it’s scary. For the company to see everything I put in night after night, year after year, and sa...
10/28/2024

“First Ave is so cheap it’s scary. For the company to see everything I put in night after night, year after year, and say I’m only worth less than a dollar above minimum wage? We need them to do better, and we know they can.” - Tayah Holte, First Ave worker

First Avenue workers need a contract with higher wages. We’re calling on the company to settle a contract with fair pay NOW!

First Ave is so cheap it's scary. Come out on 10/27 to stand with workers demanding a fair contract with fair pay NOW.
10/23/2024

First Ave is so cheap it's scary. Come out on 10/27 to stand with workers demanding a fair contract with fair pay NOW.

Carlee P, she/theyRoles: box office supervisor/box office, coat check, door, event staff3 years at First Ave clubsWhy is...
10/22/2024

Carlee P, she/they
Roles: box office supervisor/box office, coat check, door, event staff
3 years at First Ave clubs

Why is the union and winning our contract important to you?
For workers rights, protections and fair treatment of all employees at any level. I took this job not knowing the community it would bring into my life and that has been so special to me. Live music is one of the great third spaces we have left in this world, and we as the event staff do our absolute best to create these spaces every night. We want to continue to create a safe and inclusive environment for those that walk through the doors every night. To be able to do that, we need to have proper training on handling complex problems. I would like this contract to allow us workers to be more in the know and to have a fair say on what goes on behind the scenes.

Do you have a favorite part from this process? What have you learned, if anything?
I have really enjoyed seeing our staff speak up for what they need from their workplace. Whether they have been with the clubs for years or for a short time, it is great to see those using their voices for the greater good. I trust the people I work with and love all the ideas flowing!

How has being in a union affected your outlook?
I didn’t know much about unionizing in the workplace before First Avenue. I think this has not only set a precedent for other music venues around Minnesota but around the United States. Unions are important because the work that we are doing is important.

10/18/2024

Check out Local 17 Secretary-Treasurer Sheigh W Freeberg talk about why we are supporting Ilhan Omar!!

Ilhan has our back and on Nov 5th we are going to have hers!

HUGE NEWS! In their first ever strike vote, workers at the Lofton Hotel voted 94% YES to authorize a strike!We need wage...
10/09/2024

HUGE NEWS! In their first ever strike vote, workers at the Lofton Hotel voted 94% YES to authorize a strike!

We need wages that support our families. We need to maintain our holidays so we have time to rest and enjoy our lives.

First Avenue workers are calling on the company to settle a fair contract with seniority that respects their decades of ...
10/03/2024

First Avenue workers are calling on the company to settle a fair contract with seniority that respects their decades of work.

“There’s a page on the First Avenue website about how proud the company is to employ people for 10+ years. They’ll celebrate us there but say our experience is irrelevant when it comes to work and scheduling? We are what makes this place unique. The club could prove they actually respect us by agreeing to our seniority." - Pauli DeMaris, who has worked at First Avenue clubs since 2005

“We love this place so much and we put everything in,” said Pauli DeMaris, who has worked at First Avenue for nearly 20 ...
10/01/2024

“We love this place so much and we put everything in,” said Pauli DeMaris, who has worked at First Avenue for nearly 20 years. “It’d just be nice to see a little bit of everything that we put in kick back.”

Workers at First Avenue formed a union in 2023, but union members and nightclub management have yet to agree on pay and seniority rules.

Carrie was an artist and a beloved member of our Union who had worked as a Banquet Server at the Hilton Minneapolis sinc...
10/01/2024

Carrie was an artist and a beloved member of our Union who had worked as a Banquet Server at the Hilton Minneapolis since 1992. Her fellow Union members are horrified by her passing and we will support her family in every way we can.

Friends and neighbors gathered on Sunday to remember the Lowertown artist killed in what police said was a random shooting.

Address

312 Central Avenue SE, Ste 444
Minneapolis, MN
55414

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Videos

Cold, Snow and Bad Bosses won't stop us! Marquette Workers held a wake-up call picket to let everyone know: NO CONTRACT NO SLEEP!!

Lofton hotel workers are saying it loud and clear: we need a fair contract with no takebacks! No contract, no sleep! See you on the picket line TOMORROW at 11:30 am.

If we don't get no contract, you don't get no peace. Thank you, IAM, for standing with hotel workers!
If we don't get no contract, you don't get no peace. Thank you, IAM, for standing with hotel workers!

Thank you to our Machinists Union siblings for standing with Lofton hotel workers fighting for a fair contract!

"Before our election, Ann Kim and Vestalia said we were a family. And after we voted to unionize Ann Kim and Vestalia said, 'I respect the election results and look forward to working with the team as we move into the future.' Now they have taken their ball and gone home before looking at any of our proposals. But the community we have built is still here, picking up the pieces." We take care of each other! While Kim’s workers fight for the compensation and rights they deserve, please consider donating to their relief fund. Link in bio.

Support Kim's Workers
Support Kim's Workers

Kim’s sudden and unilateral closure has left workers like Alice feeling angry and disrespected, not knowing where their next paycheck will come from. "We came forward with a closure proposal asking for two weeks' pay, PTO payout, and priority hiring within the other restaurants of Vestalia. They rejected our demands and came back with compensation that doesn’t even guarantee full PTO payout. It feels like a slap in the face and disrespectful to the dedicated and skilled workers that Ann Kim has employed. Why did the company close Kim's before we could even have our first bargaining meeting? Why won't she commit to basic decency for the people that she calls family'?" "We're committed and talented workers who are already on the payroll. If the closure isn't about busting the union or punishing union supporters, there's no excuse to not hire us at her three other restaurants or put us on a priority hiring list for the future.” While Kim’s workers fight for the compensation and rights they deserve, please consider donating to their relief fund: https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-unjustly-laid-off-staff-justice-for-the-restaurant

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Who Are We?

Local 17 is a branch of UNITE HERE, an International labor union that combines industrial and textile workers (the former UNITE union) and hospitality workers (the former HERE union). H.E.R.E., the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees union, was formed in 1891 and merged with UNITE in 2004. We have over 270,000 members in the United States and are working non-stop to organize more. In the Twin Cities area, Local 17 represents roughly 6,000 workers in hotels, restaurants, bars, caterers, cafeterias, sports complexes, the airport, and other hospitality-related businesses. Our members are as diverse as Minnesota itself. Approximately 70% of Local 17’s members are immigrants and the majority of members are women. The members of Local 17 speak more than 17 languages and dialects We’re your parents, your neighbors, your friends and your spouses as well as the people who cook meals in restaurants, make beds in hotels, mix drinks in bars and sell hot dogs at ball games. Our members don’t just serve the community, they are the community.