[Linganth] Fwd: [aaaunite] Why San Jose

[P. Kerim Friedman]

The latest letter from Rob:

Dear Colleagues:

As you are by now aware, the SF Multi-Employer Group (MEG) hotels have
refused the offer of a "cooling-off" period. UNITE HERE and Mayor Gavin
Newsome favored this effort to get workers back on the job and the
parties to the labor dispute back to the bargaining table.

As you are also aware, a vast majority of AAA members are emailing one
another with one simple question, "Where is the 2004 American
Anthropological Association Meeting going to be held?"

As you may not be aware, the San Jose Convention and Visitors' Bureau
claims to have been negotiating with AAA leadership over the past few
days regarding holding the meeting in San Jose (see latest letter from
them below. I will send it -- and the previous correspondence -- to you
as an attachment if you email me offlist). It is my opinion that this
move would make sense for the following reasons:

1) According the David Glenn, the Chronicle of Higher Education
reporter I spoke with yesterday, the AAA contract with the Atlanta
Hilton has an "attrition" clause. This makes this a very different
contract from the one the AAA had with the SF Hilton. In essence, what
this means is that the AAA is guaranteeing the Atlanta Hilton a certain
number of rooms will be occupied. If this agreed-to occupation is not
met, the AAA will be liable for any unsold reservations.

This is problematic for three reasons. First, it is a major blow to the
locked-out workers of UNITE HERE Local 2, since we are guaranteeing
revenue to the company that is denying them access to their jobs. Any
effect the effort by members of the AAA to "boycott" the Atlanta Hilton
by not staying or eating there is therefore null and void. Second, it
exposes the AAA to the very costs we were, the members were told this
move would be saving us. Finally, unlike the SF or SJ Hilton's the
Atlanta hotel is corporate owned. The Hilton Corporation realizes
relatively little in profits from its franchised hotels like those in
SF and SJ. In comparison, it receives all of the profit from the
hotels, like the one in Atlanta, that it owns outright.

2) Speaking of costs, as several people have pointed out, the move to
Atlanta -- rather than some locale nearby SF -- effectively removes
economic exposure from the shoulders of the organization and hoists it
onto those least able to afford it. Those who have purchased
non-refundable tickets, who have paid huge conference registration fees
to attaned a conference they cannot go to because of teaching, family,
and scholarly obligations, and who have visas to negotiate are
OVERWHELMINGLY grad students, adjuncts, part-timers, and "marginalized"
members of the AAA (I put this in quotes to refer to us -- I'm a grad
student with a non-refundable ticket and an exam to give during the
proposed December dates -- because I am loathe to equate my troubles
with those faced by the locked-out hotel workers).

3) San Jose has waived the fee for using their Convention Center. The
SJCVB and UNITE HERE continue to promise logistical support, including
arranging transportation for AAA members flying in to SF.

4) UNITE HERE have communicated in NO UNCERTAIN TERMS that, while they
appreciate the pressure put on by a move to Atlanta, they would prefer
the move to San Jose, since the MEG hotel chains and the Hilton in
particular will not realize the bulk of the revenue from hotel stays in
SJ. Visit www.unitehere.org to see that they have approved the union
hotels in San Jose for all travellers concerned about labor issues.

5) As the article in today's LA Times Business section entitled "U.S.
Travel Business on Road to Recovery" makes clear the SF Hilton is
entirely dependent on its massive profits from business like ours.
Likewise, the Hilton Corporation, whose "earnings jumped 79% in the
third quarter" with the "company expect[ing] more good times ahead,"
would have its good times on our Atlanta dime and on the backs of the
locked-out workers.

6) The move to SJ would accomodate the greatest number of registered
members still able to go, facilitating face-to- face dialogue on the
burning issues of ethics and governance that this issue has made
abudantly clear. Job seekers would be able to go to the conference with
some assurance that anyone seeking applicants is actually going to be
there. Several sections have already moved their panels to other sites
in the Bay Area.

I fear that this issue is tearing our association apart. The discipline
and its association have too great a value to me to quietly watch that
happen. It is my hope that the membership will quickly pull together
and convey to the Executive Committee that this is the best outcome
possible and that we will cooperate with them in good faith to make it
happen.

In solidarity as an anthropologist, a dues-paying member of the AAA,
and a labor activist,

Robert T. O'Brien

Appended message follows: October 26, 2004

Ms. Elizabeth Brumfiel, President Mr. Alan Goodman, President Elect
American Anthropological Association

Via E Mail

Dear Ms. Brumfiel and Mr. Goodman:

At your request, some final points in our bid to host the American
Anthropological Association’s 103rd Annual Meeting in our city. Our
community is ready and capable of welcoming your attendees with little
to no inconvenience to them. We will work with you and your team to
make the transition from San Francisco to San Jose a smooth one. This
letter supercedes all previous offers extended and represents our most
current proposal to the American Anthropological Association to host
the 2004 Annual Meeting in San Jose.

I would like to point out a few benefits of bringing this program to
San Jose versus another city:

• Proximity to San Francisco: Just 35 miles from San Francisco
International Airport, airline tickets will not need to be changed.
Shuttle service to/from San Jose is affordable and convenient. It is
likely that your travelers have already booked flights into Oakland,
San Jose or San Francisco for the November program so no flight changes
will likely be needed. Main carriers into San Jose International
Airport are Southwest and American, two stable and affordable airlines.
• “Big fish” in our city: The American Anthropological Association will
take over the downtown area and be the sole focus of our community to
ensure the success of your program. • Our hotel rates will be confirmed
not to exceed your highest contracted rates in San Francisco at our
nationally recognized brands (Marriott, Fairmont, Hilton, Crowne Plaza,
Hyatt) all within 2 blocks of our Convention Center. • Based up your
sleeping room actualization of 6,000 total rooms (1650 rooms on peak
nights) as communicated to us by your meeting planner, the American
Anthropological Association will realize $300,000 from the hotel
community and city. Historically, the American Association
Anthropological Association has utilized 7,400+ sleeping rooms when the
program was in the Bay Area. • The San Jose McEnery Convention Center,
CenterPlate and Team San Jose are offering an additional $150,000 in
cash value to the American Anthropological Association in the form of
waived convention center rental, Food and Beverage discounts, labor
consideration and complimentary housing.

We are confident that this will be a most successful conference for AAA
and await your “green light”. In fact, we look forward to bringing AAA
back to San Jose in years to come after you have had a successful
conference in 2004 in San Jose!

Sincerely,

Daniel Fenton President and CEO (408) 792-4107 dfenton at sanjose.org

cc: The Honorable Mayor Ron Gonzales