In the late 1960s, Edith “Cookie” Heard was one of the founding members of the Colonial Williamsburg Food and Beverage Workers Union.
Back then it was an organization she fought for, but now she said she can barely recognize it.
“It was something to be proud of, but now it’s more of an explanation,” she said.
Heard said she had spent time trying to find information on the internet about the present union but it took serious digging.
“That’s not how it should be, it should be accessible,” she said.
During a lunch at the Williamsburg Inn, Heard was greeted by many familiar faces. After working for Colonial Williamsburg for 40 years as a server and as one of the first African-Americans in the accounting department, she said she still is invested in the well-being of the employees. She asked each staff member she interacted with if they were a part of the union.
Some said they were, but many said they hadn’t even heard of it.
The Colonial Williamsburg Food and Beverage Workers Union is now merged with Local 25 of UNITE HERE, which represents hotel workers in Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia, according to the organization’s website.
That covers workers at the Williamsburg Inn, the Williamsburg Lodge and the Williamsburg Woodlands Hotel.
Eric Heard, Edith Heard’s son who worked at the Williamsburg Inn for 22 years, said when he first started working with Colonial Williamsburg in 1985, the union had hit a lull. Following in his mother’s footsteps, he worked to recruit more waiters and others to join.
After a few years of hard work, he said the union was strong and participating in a number of marches for various rights. Both Edith and Eric Heard remember an event in 1990 on Duke of Gloucester Street with more than 1,500 people marching for fair labor practices.
“People were marching for what they wanted,” Eric Heard said. “We knew that we were giving five-star service and we deserved to be treated that way.”
Edith Heard, her son said, was known for putting the people first and as a leader in the union she got to know the individuals working for Colonial Williamsburg, and gave them a voice.
Both Edith and Eric Heard said the Colonial Williamsburg union of today is a far cry from what it had once been.
“I look at it now and I just feel like it lost what it used to be,” Eric Heard said. “At one point in time, I had six family members that worked for Colonial Williamsburg. Because you could raise your family on what you made there, it was the place to work around here. Now, when I talk to people who still work there, that’s not the case.”
Joe Straw, spokesman for the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, did not provide information on wage cuts for members of service staff.
“Many of Colonial Williamsburg’s hospitality employees are represented by a union, Local 25 of UNITE HERE,” Straw wrote in an email. “Colonial Williamsburg and the union have had a negotiated collective bargaining agreement since the 1970s. Colonial Williamsburg prides itself on having a good working relationship with its employees and the union.”
Edith Heard said part of the issue is there doesn’t seem to be a strong connection between the union’s leadership and the employees. Eric Heard mentioned that part of the issue might be because the union isn’t as active as it should be.
“What they need to do is make sure there isn’t a problem, instead of just responding when there is one,” Eric Heard said.
The Washington, D.C. headquarters for Local 25 did not have anyone immediately available to comment about members in Colonial Williamsburg. Information on the subject was directed to Velma Butler, secretary the Colonial Williamsburg local union, who did not immediately respond for comment.
“People have to be engaged with their union,” Edith Heard said. “Otherwise they won’t have anyone standing up for them.”
