After a two-year shutdown to remodel the swanky Hotel Bel-Air, hotel administrators came up with bogus reasons not to rehire many of its former union workers in a scheme to avoid recognizing the labor group that represented the employees, according to a recent ruling by an administrative law judge.
A hotel representative said the hotel planned to appeal the ruling to the National Labor Relations Board, whose five members are political appointees. Two of the five seats are currently vacant. The other three were filled by President Trump. The hotel, ringed by 12 acres of landscaped gardens, has been a favorite haunt of Hollywood’s rich and celebrated. In 1962, Marilyn Monroe posed for some of her most memorable photos by the pool and in a hotel room. Actress Joan Collins renewed her wedding vows at the hotel in 2009, near a picturesque pond known as Swan Lake., accusing hotel management of closing the hotel only to force out the union by refusing to give former staffers their old jobs back.
According to Ross’ decision, dozens of former employees applied for their prior positions during a job fair and were given no explanation why they were not offered their former position or were told they did not have enough experience for the job, even though several of the staffers previously held the same positions for up to 25 years.
Can’t blame them for trying.