Washington, D.C. -- John Boardman, the longtime leader of UNITE HERE Local 25, stepped down Monday from his role as Executive Secretary-Treasurer. During his over 40 years of leadership, John has built Local 25 into a powerful force for hospitality workers in Washington D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. Under John’s leadership, Local 25 has won groundbreaking contracts, major political victories, and brought thousands of workers into the Union.
For several decades, John has been a powerful advocate for Local 25’s members and their families in the political arena. His political successes include groundbreaking legislation in the District that regulated short term rentals; protected workers and the industry during the Covid pandemic; free speech guarantees in local noise ordinances; and mandated automatic daily room cleaning of hotel rooms. His political work on behalf of the DMV’s workers goes far beyond Local 25’s members. He played a significant role, for instance, in making sure there was funding for ‘excluded workers’ during the pandemic, when such workers and their communities were enduring tremendous economic hardship.
Local 25, with John at the helm, organized Union victories at iconic new properties such as the Marriott Marquis, the Trump Hotel/Waldorf Astoria D.C., and the Mandarin Oriental. He helped establish footholds for the Union in Northern Virginia and at National Harbor through the Gaylord. These campaigns guaranteed that Local 25 members did not lose power through successive waves of hotel development in the region. And when MGM opened the first area casino in National Harbor, John fought successfully for the workers there to share in the benefits of Local 25’s contract.
These contracts have raised standards for workers across the region. They guarantee a $25 minimum wage for Local 25 housekeepers and dishwashers in the District, with access to employer-paid family health care, an employer-funded pension, and a litany of other benefits. Local 25 members consistently describe the respect and dignity they feel at work thanks to the power of the Union’s contracts and effectiveness of its internal organizing.
John’s departure occurs at a time when energy for new organizing and higher pay is sweeping the country. Hotel workers are angry and know they have immense power in collective action. Local 25 is ready to take advantage of this trend, with a seasoned leadership team poised to step into John’s shoes. The team will be led by Executive Secretary Treasurer Paul Schwalb, who most recently has served as Local 25 Chief of Staff. Prior to his DC assignment, Paul led UNITE HERE’s 100,000 member Food Service Division through a period of unprecedented growth. He will be joined by Linda Martin, the long-time President of the Local. With broader leadership from a skilled and long-tenured staff team and Executive Board, Local 25 is well-positioned to confront the immense challenges and opportunities faced by our Local and our movement.
“John has been an incredible friend, mentor, and leader to me and all of us these past years,” said Linda Martin, President of Local 25. “He will be deeply missed, but thanks to his incredible legacy, we have never been stronger.”
“It’s been an honor to learn from John over the years, and it’s an honor to step into this new role,” said Paul Schwalb, Local 25’s new Executive-Secretary Treasurer. “Thanks to what John has built, we stand ready to bring new members into the Union, strengthen our already strong contracts, and continue raising the bar regionwide for hospitality workers.”
“John is a person who is always trying to help everybody else, and the contracts he has won with us do exactly that,” said Lucy Biswas, a Local 25 leader and room attendant at the Washington Hilton for over forty years. “What can I say? Through all the years I have known him, he has always tried his best so that Local 25 members can be our best.”
In a message to members, that will be circulated later this week, John said, “I am proud of our past and confident in our future. Local 25’s successes at the picket line and at the bargaining table have always been worker led. Our members fuel the District’s economy and the properties they work in would be nothing without their hard work. I have always fought to make sure that this hard work was recognized and appropriately compensated. I leave office believing we have accomplished much towards that goal.”
