ANOTHER unionised professional sports team in the United States has crossed the same Boston hotel workers’ picket line as the baseball teams LA Dodgers and New York Yankees. 

This time it is the ice hockey team Philadelphia Flyers who checked into the Ritz-Carlton yesterday scabbing over the picket set up by striking hotel workers and their union Unite Here Local 26.

Unite Here Local 26 members have been on strike across the city since October 3 after months of contract negotiations with hotel giants Marriott broke down. 

The multi-billionaire corporation refused to budge on issues raised by staff concerning the living wage, retirement benefits, working hours, workplace safety, updated sexual harassment codes and protection from industry automation. 

The union claimed it tried to help the Dodgers find a non-striking hotel with unionised staff on Monday. But union boss Brian Lang said this was turned down. “For millionaires to hold their desire for luxury over people struggling pay cheque to pay cheque, it’s shameful,” he said.

Professional ice hockey players in the US and Canadian National Hockey League (NHL) are represented by the NHL Players Association (NHLPA) union. 

However, it appears that the NHLPA is either unaware of the strike, or failed to communicate with its fellow trade unionists over which hotels its members should stay in. 

Fortunately for the striking workers who support their local NHL team, the Boston Bruins hammered the scabs 3-0.