Puerto Rico’s Local 610 Provides Critical Support to Members After Hurricane Fiona

When Hurricane Fiona swept through Puerto Rico in September, members of UNITE-HERE Local 610, were among those who lost power, water, and even entire homes to the storm’s devastation—but our union was ready and committed to help them through this crisis.

As a total blackout enveloped the island, our union brothers and sisters with the Hotel & Gaming Trades Council (“HTC”) in New York coordinated support for Local 610 by setting up a dedicated phone line and email for our members to report grievances and emergencies. From miles away, HTC staff manned the lines and handled worker grievances until Local 610 staff could make it into the office. In those first days after the hurricane, while many streets were flooded and blocked by mudslides, Local 610 negotiated with our seven shops to ensure no union worker would be disciplined for not being able to make it to work.

Just 24 hours after the storm abated, while much of Puerto Rico was still without power and water, the Local 610 office in San Juan reopened. Staff quickly got to work analyzing impact on our members and organizing economic relief for them. Our first move was to collaborate with UNITE-HERE international, which, in an incredible act of solidarity, offered over $280,000 to be handed out directly to Local 610 members. The union distributed $250 checks to over 1,000 members.

These checks provided critical relief for our members, some of whom lost all their groceries due to power outages and had to spend hundreds of dollars a week on bottled water and gasoline to run generators. Members lost expensive appliances and even their entire homes to the hurricane. The financial assistance from the union provided tangible support to members as they moved through this extremely difficult time.

Victor Colón, a Houseman at the El San Juan Hotel, spoke to union staff after receiving his check: “When Mother Nature acts against us, it’s easy to feel down because everything you’ve worked so hard to provide for your family can be washed away just like that. But with this money, I don’t have to worry about dipping into my emergency fund for groceries or gas for the generator. I’m reminded now about what it means to have representation, and feel a great weight has been lifted off of my shoulders.”

Agnes Rivera, a Housekeeper at Condado Plaza who also received a relief check from the union, said, “The relief couldn’t have arrived at a better time. My windows were badly damaged and my home was flooded. With this check, I will be able to afford to fix the damage and replace lost furniture. I love my union for always being there in times like these.”

Local 610 also offered assistance to members with applying for aide from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Puerto Rico Department of Labor and Human Resources.

For members who needed housing relief, Local 610 negotiated agreements with all seven union shops to take in their employees whose homes were destroyed by the storm. Workers could stay in their hotel of employment for up to a month while they made longer term housing arrangements.

We are proud to have provided essential care to our members during this crisis. People often think the role of unions is limited to the workplace, but the response of Local 610, UNITE-HERE, and HTC in New York to Hurricane Fiona and other crises, like the COVID-19 pandemic, prove that the impact of unions goes beyond the job site and into the lives and homes of union workers.