CLN, Blessed Sacrament Parish Host Listening Session with Displaced Chateau Marmont Workers

In December, the Catholic Labor Network joined Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice (CLUE) to host a listening session where displaced workers from Hollywood’s famed Chateau Marmont Hotel testified to long mistreatment on the job before being abruptly fired at the start of the pandemic. The workers, Alex Roldan and Martha Moran, spoke before a crowd of 30 at Hollywood’s Blessed Sacrament parish.

After a welcome and opening prayer from Blessed Sacrament’s Fr. Ike Udoh, SJ, who has been accompanying these workers in their journey for justice, Roldan and Moran shared their stories. Their stories were deeply concerning. For years the management ran the hotel as a “safe haven” where its Hollywood clientele could party freely. But the notorious party spot was hardly a “safe haven” for the workers. After decades of disrespect and mistreatment, the pandemic set in, and workers who had dedicated decades of their lives to the hotel were suddenly left without job security or affordable healthcare during the pandemic.

As veteran housekeeper Martha Moran shared with the community at Blessed Sacrament, “I worked at the Chateau for 34 years and was fired at the start of the pandemic. They kept some of the people with less seniority, but they didn’t give me anything – just kicked me out.”

Listening were a crowd of clergy and lay witnesses drawn from nearby Churches, and even a group of students from Loyola High School. They were deeply moved by the workers’ testimony. “The stories were shocking,” said John Murphy, a parishioner at Blessed Sacrament. “It was beyond meaningful and really opened my eyes to what is going on,” said Loyola HS student Diego Dominguez.

You can help. The workers have asked supporters to take a pledge to boycott the Chateau Marmont until the workers who have been dismissed are allowed to return to work with dignity. Visit www.boycottchateaumarmont.org right now to add your name to the boycott list. And please share it with your friends!