Unite Here Local 878 represents employees working for the Sheraton Anchorage Hotel and Spa in Alaska. During a recent labor dispute, the union has apparently reverted to “old school” union tactics – including death threats and vandalism. A police report filed on June 8 noted 3 instances of threats made to incoming hotel manager Denis Artiles and director of operations Eduardo Canas. Lt. Dave Parker, a public information officer with the Anchorage Police Department, paraphrased the reported threats, “Watch your back. You will die, motherf—. We will get rid of you at every cost,” and “I know you just arrived in town. If you think your press release is going to make us back off, you’re wrong, bitch.” At least four vehicles were vandalized, belonging to the hotel chef, another of the hotel managers, and a transportation contractor working with the hotel and one of his employees. As would be expected, the NLRB did not find “enough evidence” that the union was responsible for the threats and damage and dismissed the charges, and of course the union flatly denies them. However, according to one of the spokespersons for the hotel, “The threats and vandalism are real. We have pictures and recordings and everything has been turned over to the police. On a side note, it’s interesting how those things seemed to have stopped since we went public with their behavior.”
