From UNITE! press release

LABOR UNIONS UNITE AND HERE TO MERGE
Merger Creates New Opportunities in Organizing,
Contract Negotiations and Political Action

Washington, DC) – The executive boards of the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees International Union (HERE), and UNITE, the clothing, textiles and laundry union, have unanimously agreed in principle to merge the two unions. The new union will represent 440,000 active members and more than 400,000 retirees throughout North America. The tentative agreement is expected to be ratified with a vote by rank-and-file members at a special joint convention in Chicago in July.

The new union will be called UNITE HERE. Bruce Raynor of UNITE will serve as General President, and HERE’s John Wilhelm will be President/Hospitality Industries. The two presidents will share executive, budgetary and personnel authority.

“This merger substantially increases our ability to fight for the rights of our members and the tens of thousands of new members that we will represent in the future and to make sure that America’s working families share in the success of the world’s richest nation. We are stronger together at the bargaining table, at shop floors, in city halls, state capitals and in Washington, DC,” says President Raynor.

“Our members are the same people: service workers, immigrants, African-Americans, living in the same neighborhoods all across North America. Together with UNITE, we can grow faster. Together, more service workers will achieve the American dream. And together, we will have the strength we need to bargain with giant global corporations,” explains President Wilhelm.

UNITE and HERE have collaborated most recently in the Immigrant Workers Freedom Ride, the successful struggle for a fair contract for Yale workers, and in the current effort to unionize H&M retail and distribution workers.

“We bring the same attitude to the table. For the employers who chose the high road by negotiating good contracts with fair pay and good benefits, we maintain a totally cooperative relationship,” explains Raynor. “However, when it comes to struggles with companies that refuse to do the right thing by their workers, we are not afraid to dig in our heels. We are known for outsmarting and outlasting even the toughest companies.”

Presidents Raynor and Wilhelm are known as dynamic and innovative labor leaders. Along with the presidents of the carpenters, laborers and service employee’s unions, they have formed the New Unity Partnership, which has recommended many changes to the structure of unions, including the need to join together in larger, more powerful organizations.

“We both have aggressive organizing campaigns underway and the merger will allow us to intensify and expand these efforts,” said President Raynor. “We need unions that are dynamic and powerful enough to take on the big corporations that are dominating the lives of Americas families.”

UNITE historically represents workers in the apparel and textile industries, and more recently has organized industrial laundries, distribution centers and workers in light manufacturing. HERE members are in the hospitality industries, working in hotels, airports, casinos, food service, and restaurants. Though there are places where the industries overlap, particularly in hospitality and laundry, the merger is primarily a reflection of the two unions’ shared values and priorities: social justice, economic opportunity, civil rights, the rights of immigrant workers and a commitment to organizing unrepresented workers.

“This is a non-traditional merger of two non-traditional unions,” says President Wilhelm. “Our outstanding members and staff are recognized even outside of the labor movement; both unions are regarded for their work on behalf of progressive causes. The HERE Immigrant Workers Freedom Ride brought together activists of every stripe, and UNITE is largely responsible for developing the antisweatshop movement in the U.S. and Canada.”

UNITE HERE will be headquartered in New York City. The new union will combine the complete resources and assets of each organization, including the $3.6 billion Amalgamated Bank, the only union-owned bank in North America.