As a steward, Patty Stevens is a strong voice for members at the Hilton DoubleTree in London.
“Some people won’t speak up – they are afraid and nervous of what will happen if they do but I don’t have a problem doing that for them,” Patty said.
After working for 22 years at the hotel, Patty recently became a steward. In housekeeping, she helps members with a variety of issues, including workload concerns and room assignments
“We support each other as a group,” Patty said. “Having union reps and stewards in the workplace means that you never feel alone.”
Last fall, Patty served on the negotiating committee for the first time and helped ensure members’ voices were heard.
“We received the pay raise we wanted, which the members were happy with,” Patty said. “We helped members achieve a fourth week of vacation that they were asking for, and the cross-training for part-time workers to help them access more hours and becoming eligible for benefits.”
Already, the part-time workers are utilizing the crosstraining language to gain more hours.
“With everything we achieved, we are definitely heading in the right direction,” she said.
Union representation provides workers with more certainty compared to non-unionized workplaces, Patty added.
“With the union, you have job security and peace of mind and you have a union that will back you,” she said.
