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Title: MWPHA Disparities Committee Supports Hotel Workers' Labor Struggle

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Section/SPIG: Medical Care

Issue Date:

The Metropolitcan Washington Public Health Association Disparities Committee affirms that access to health care, safe and secure jobs, living wages, and cohesion among workers contribute to community health. It acknowledges that racism is a practice that discriminates against people of color resulting in huge disparities in health status and life expectancy, and a philosophy that divides ordinary people with the same needs into antagonistic racial and ethnic groups.

Participating in labor struggles can help achieve important benefits for workers that lead to better health outcomes and unite people. Many of these struggles address racism by fighting for higher wages, health care, and job security for lower income black and Latino workers. For this reason, the MWPHA Disparities Committee added its support to the hotel workers' struggle for health care, job safety, and a stronger union. It also visited Metro Union’s (ATU Local 689) with information on health disparities. Over the last several months, the Committee:

  • Sponsored the Forum on Public Health and Labor to discuss the common interests of public health organizations and unions (see below);

  • Leafletted the APHA meeting with UNITE HERE Local 25 union organizers to generate support for the hotel workers’ demands;

  • Spoke and marched at a hotel workers’ rally at local hotels where workers “received” holiday gifts from the hotel bosses, such as a package of “health care” that contained aspirin, Ben Gay, and a back brace;

  • Leafletted hotel guests and the public at key hotels before the Inauguration;

  • Presented an interactive talk on health disparities at a Metro union conference;

  • Displayed MWPHA exhibit on health disparities at a Metro Union meeting and at APHA; and

  • Sponsored a continuing education session on popular education methods.


See the attached document for a summary of our Forum on Public Health and Labor, which presents some of the important ideas and discussions about this collaboration. The Forum was sponsored by the Metropolitan Washington Public Health Association’s Disparities Committee, the GWU Public Health Student Association, the GWU SPHHS Advocacy Committee and DC Jobs with Justice.

Related Files:
Summary_of_Forum_on_Public_Health_and_Labor.doc