FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, May 22nd 2023
Media Contact: Benjy Cannon, 202-714-1567, bcannon@local25now.org
Following Moon Rabbit’s Closure, Hotel Workers Call for Boycott of Non-Union InterContinental Hotel Group Properties in D.C.
The abrupt closure of a renowned restaurant in the middle of a union election throws dozens of workers’ livelihoods into question.
Washington, DC – Today, management at the InterContinental on The Wharf informed workers that Moon Rabbit is closing and will be replaced by an alternative concept that will only serve breakfast. Following this announcement, which comes amidst a union organizing campaign at the hotel and Moon Rabbit, UNITE HERE Local 25 has called for a boycott of non-union hotels operated by the InterContinental Hotel Group (IHG), which operates the Intercontinental on The Wharf and Moon Rabbit, as well as the Willard InterContinental, the Kimpton Hotel George, and the Hotel Indigo Alexandria. The Union encourages customers to continue patronizing the restaurant at the InterContinental.
UNITE HERE Local 25 is a hospitality workers’ union that represents over 6,500 workers in Maryland, Virginia, and D.C. With the backing of a substantial majority of workers at the Intercontinental on the Wharf and Moon Rabbit, the Union filed for a petition for a Union election on May 1 – three weeks before the hotel decided to close Moon Rabbit, throwing the workers’ livelihoods into question. 83% of workers in the bargaining unit have signed union authorization cards.
“This move by the hotel is cynical and disgusting,” said Paul Schwalb, the Executive-Secretary Treasurer of UNITE HERE Local 25. “Closing Moon Rabbit on the eve of a union election shows a gross disregard for the people who helped turn Moon Rabbit into a national sensation. Nobody should do business with a hotel that treats workers as disposable.”
The InterContinental on The Wharf is owned by developers Hoffman & Associates, Madison Marquette and Carr Companies. The D.C. Council provided these companies with almost $300 million in subsidies to develop The Wharf, with the promise of job creation. The Federal Government spent nearly $1 million in room reservations at the InterContinental on The Wharf between 2019-2021.
Moon Rabbit is a critically acclaimed restaurant that Food & Wine recently named one of the top ten in the United States. Workers in the restaurant believe that it is a serious contender for a Michelin Star. Chef Kevin Tien is also a 2023 Chef of the Year RAMMY Finalist. Chef Tien is leaving the InterContinental on The Wharf along with Moon Rabbit.
“It’s devastating,” said Michael Cruz, a server at Moon Rabbit. “I’ve been organizing the union at Moon Rabbit because I wanted stability, and I wanted to spend my career working here with Chef Kevin. For management to spit that back in our faces is a real betrayal of our work and the incredible restaurant we’ve built.”
“I don’t want anyone staying at this hotel,” said Dennis Chambers, a Banquet Cook at the InterContinental. “Management has crossed a line here, just because we wanted something better for ourselves and our families.”
“This is a decision point in D.C. for anyone who claims to care about workers’ rights and social justice,” Schwalb continued. “Do you stand with a majority Black and Brown workforce fighting for their rights? Or will you reward multimillion dollar developers and one of the largest hotel operators in the world for telling workers to pound sand? Do the right thing and do not stay at InterContinental hotels in the District.”
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