On October 3, unionized hotel workers at seven* Marriott hotels in Boston began a strike. The Marriott Copley, where the Spirit of Justice will take place on October 12, is not part of this action.

GLAD deeply appreciates the vital role that hotel staff at the Marriott Copley are playing this year, and have for the past several years, in making the Spirit of Justice Award Dinner a successful event. We believe all workers deserve safe working conditions and fair compensation, and support the right of workers to organize.

When we learned of the strike authorization vote last month, we reached out to the union to discuss ways we can support these efforts, including signing the “One Job Should Be Enough Pledge.”

Our commitment to working with venues where workers have safe working conditions and are compensated fairly will continue to be a factor in our decision-making as we plan future events.

If you have further questions, please reach out to Amanda Johnston, Director of Public Affairs & Education ajohnston@glad.org or Brianna Boggs, Director of Development bboggs@glad.org

*The hotels involved are: Aloft Boston Seaport, Element Boston Seaport District, Ritz-Carlton Boston, Sheraton Boston, W Hotel Boston, Westin Boston Waterfront, and Westin Copley Place.