When members of Unite Here Local 610 in Puerto Rico entered into a contract fight with Hilton in June 2009, the life of their union was hanging by a thread.

The new contract that was ratified in February 2010 saved their union. It stopped decades of decline and concession bargaining. It significantly raised the members’ standard of living and greatly increased their power.

In past negotiations, Local 610 members had been forced to swallow significant losses with few, if any, improvements in their conditions. This new contract was an unequivocal victory, and every new contract provision represents an improvement for the members. At a time of severe economic hardship, this $13.5 million deal is objectively much better than agreements being negotiated by other unions. In addition, most of the fundamental contract provisions relating to the rights of union members and the balance of power between the union and management have been rewritten. As a result, the non-economic elements of this contract are superior to almost every other union contract in the hotel industry in North America.