What:              Elected officials, labor leaders, and workers decry the Woodfin's effort to use ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) against its own outspoken employees. Press conference and rally to announce political corruption scandal in which San Diego Congressman, Brian Bilbray, contacts the national head of ICE – on behalf of his wealthy donor, Woodfin owner Sam Hardage – to request audit of Emeryville hotel. ICE audits the hotel despite internal regulations preventing interference in labor disputes.

Who: Representative of Congresswoman Barbara Lee and Berkeley City Councilor Kris Worthington; joined by labor leaders, workers, and immigrant rights advocates.

When:             Wednesday, June 13th, 12:10 pm

Where:            Oakland Federal Building, 1301 Clay St., Oakland (the location of Bay Area ICE office)

OAKLAND, CA – Evidence revealed today in the Bay Guardian shows that Samuel Hardage – owner of the Woodfin Suites hotel chain – used his political influence as a Republican Party leader and donor to persuade Immigration and Customs Enforcement to investigate his very own hotel and workers. ICE then audited the Emeryville Woodfin Suites, despite its own written policy not to interfere in labor disputes.

For months, Emeryville Woodfin workers have been picketing the hotel, demanding back wages owed to them under a local living wage law and protesting the firings of immigrant workers. In February, the Woodfin Suites contacted the office of Representative Brian Bilbray, an anti-immigrant Republican to whom Hardage has donated thousands of dollars. At the Woodfin’s urging, Bilbray asked ICE head Julie Myers to audit the Emeryville hotel. In April, ICE agents arrived at the Woodfin and reviewed the hotel’s personnel files. ICE apparently ignored a January letter from Representative Barbara Lee, alerting them to the Woodfin labor dispute and asking that they follow their own policy and refrain from interfering.

The Emeryville hotel has cited ICE’s enforcement action to justify its firings of workers who supported the living wage - in court, in the media, and before the Emeryville City Council. However, today's revelation proves that all along the Woodfin was cashing in on political favors to bring about an ICE audit of its own hotel, in an apparent effort to avoid adverse rulings from the court and the city.

"ICE has allowed itself to be used as a tool by a law-breaking hotel embroiled in a nasty labor dispute with its employees. It's scandalous for the agency to do favors for conservative political and business interests. ICE should be held accountable," said Brooke Anderson, Organizing Director at EBASE.

"Given the political corruption and scandal which has put them in this place, ICE should immediately and publicly commit not to take any enforcement action against current or former Emeryville Woodfin employees," said Sarah Norr, Living Wage Organizer at EBASE.

In related news, this week  the Emeryville City Manager will announce his decision on whether to grant   Woodfin a permit to continue operating, and if so, whether the hotel’s ability to remain open will be conditioned on its paying back wages to the housekeepers.

BACKGROUND: In the past year, the Woodfin has: twice sued the City of Emeryville seeking to overrule the will of the voters; refused for nearly a year to comply with Measure C after it went into effect; denied workers even a penny of the $200,000 in back pay owed to them; fired workers 10 days before Christmas against the council's urgings (reinstated by court order); filed a frivolous lawsuit against a city council member who sought dialogue with hotel management; refused to cooperate with the city's investigation; evicted a longtime hotel resident and her 11-year old daughter explicitly because they supported the workers; and now has fired the workers a second time in blatant violation of city law.