Fired union workers staged a protest outside the Surrey Hotel in New York City, where many celebrities were staying before attending the Met Gala on Monday.
A significant number of prominent stars encountered a labor dispute involving members of the Hotel Trade Council as they departed their stylish hotel in Manhattan’s Upper East Side for the iconic fundraising gala at the Met Museum.
The union organized a protest right outside the Surrey Hotel on East 76th Avenue.
After closing during the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, the Surrey went bankrupt. It recently reopened under the Collington Hotels brand, following a takeover by the Reuben Brothers, an investment firm based in Geneva, Switzerland.
However, nearly 100 employees who were laid off during the pandemic haven’t been reemployed by the new management. The Hotel Trade Council condemned this as an effort to undermine the union.
Mary Coronado, a former employee who worked at Surrey for a decade before losing her job, expressed her distress, stating, “I’m a single mother, so my job at Surrey means everything to me. This job helped support my two daughters.” She mentioned the challenges of losing her income, emphasizing the impact it had on her ability to provide for her family.
Donna McCummon, another former worker who had been with the hotel since 2002, shared similar feelings. “Losing my job at Surrey is one of the most difficult experiences of my life,” she reflected, highlighting her struggle to support her family without stable income.
Rich Maloco, president of the Hotel Trade Council, criticized the new ownership for “unfairly abandoning” the former employees. He called on the celebrities residing at Surrey to advocate for the reemployment of these workers.
Prior to the Met Gala, the union reportedly reached out to celebrity representatives, urging them to publicly support the laid-off workers.
This year’s star-studded guest list at the Surrey included numerous high-profile figures, such as rapper Cardi B, actor Tom Cruise, singer Alicia Keys, Shakira, soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo, NFL player Jalen Hurts, actress Angela Bassett, and designer Tommy Hilfiger.
In March, a former Surrey employee initiated a lawsuit against the Reuben Brothers and Corinthia Hotels, alleging violations of pandemic-related labor laws intended to protect workers during ownership transitions. The case remains unresolved.
