*JAY-Z is hosting an Oscar party at the Chateau Marmont this weekend, and the event is set to go down amid an ongoing boycott at the famed hotel.
The hotel let go nearly 250 of the employees at the height of the pandemic in 2020, allegedly without insurance or severance, per Page Six. Chateau Marmont officials also deny accusations of racial discrimination and harassment.
Here’s more from the outlet:
In a press release, Unite Here Local 11 Union, which is supporting the West Hollywood hotel’s workers, asks “Jay-Z to honor the boycott by choosing another venue for the famed after-party.” The union is planning a picket line at 8p.m. this Sunday with a giant balloon arch to garner attention and will make signs, we’re told, that will feature the likenesses of their high-profile supporters such as Gabrielle Union, Spike Lee, Issa Rae, Samira Wiley and Ta-Nehisi Coates, who have all publicly backed the boycott.
READ MORE: Beyoncé to Perform ‘Be Alive’ at Academy Awards
“Celebrities have a responsibility to lead by example. Jay-Z has the opportunity right now to do just that by listening to the stories of Chateau Marmont workers and move his event to a location that treats its workers with dignity and respect,” Kurt Petersen, co-president of Local 11 tells Page Six.
Server Keisha Banks has been one of several hotel staffers to speak out about the toxic workplace environment at Chateau Marmont. Banks told Page Six in 2020 that the hotel is “certainly a place where it was clear if you were a white man, you had no issues.”
When it comes to Jigga throwing his Oscar party at the hotel, Banks tells the outlet, “We constantly see Black elites putting their fame and money before their fans.
“By now, Jay-Z and Beyonce must be aware that Chateau’s workers have spoken out about being mistreated. They should be leveraging and moving their dollars elsewhere in solidarity with the people they claim to support and who are calling out for justice.”
The hotel’s rep previously slammed accusations of racism and discrimination, telling Page Six: “Of the six departments at Chateau Marmont, three are led by people of color. Compensation is not determined or defined by ethnicity or any other such factor. Wages are set based on the work assigned.”
A rep for Chateau added, “These meritless allegations are all unproven for one simple reason: they were manufactured in lawsuits bought and paid for by Unite Here Local 11 as part of their targeted efforts to unionize Chateau Marmont.
“Contrary to the bogus claims in these already-dismissed, union-backed sham filings, Chateau Marmont has a long and well-documented history of diversity and inclusion among both our employees and our guests.”
We Publish News 24/7. Don’t Miss A Story. Click HERE to SUBSCRIBE to Our Newsletter Now!
