Trump Hotel protest boils over in DC

A group of hotel workers brought their beef with Donald Trump to the nation’s capital on Thursday.

The Culinary Union is locked in a labor dispute with Trump over the right to organize employees of Trump Hotel Las Vegas, which is partially owned by the Republican presidential nominee.

{mosads}The AFL-CIO, which represents the Culinary Union, is working to draw attention to the issue by organizing pickets outside Trump hotels in New York, Chicago, San Francisco and Honolulu.

On Thursday, it added the real estate mogul’s latest development, the hotel at the Old Post Office in Washington, to its list. 

Hundreds of labor activists marched around the Trump International Hotel on Thursday, carrying signs and chanting, “Donald Trump has got to go! Donald Trump has got to go!” 

AFL-CIO Executive Vice President Tefere Gebre had a message for Trump: “Until we get that contract, we will be here every day, ever hour, calling on you to negotiate.”

“Donald Trump says he’s the best negotiator in the world,” he told the picketers. “But if he’s so afraid of negotiating with 500 hotel workers, how’s he going to negotiate for the country?”

The Las Vegas hotel workers voted to organize in December 2015 and the union was recognized by the National Labor Relations Board earlier this year, but Trump is challenging the vote.

Chris Shelton, president of the Communications Workers of America, and Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) were also on hand and addressed the protesters. 

“The workers of Las Vegas are not going to be bullied by Donald Trump,” Van Hollen said.

“Vote for Donald Trump?” one protester’s sign read. “I’d rather vote for Donald Duck. Quack!” 

“Trumpty Dumpty sat on his wall, Trumpty Dumpty had a great fall. All of his billions and all of his men couldn’t put Trumpty together again. After all, it was a very high wall,” another sign declared.