Exclusive | A-list celebs staying at top NYC hotel for famed Met Gala face protest from fired union workers

Celebrities from Cardi B to Tom Cruise who are staying at a tony Manhattan hotel for the posh Met Gala will be confronted with an ugly labor dispute before walking the red carpet Monday, union bigs warn.Members of the Hotel Trade Council union say they will be holding a protest outside The Surrey Hotel, where many A-list attendees of the famed Met Museum event are staying on nearby East 76th Street.The Surrey closed in 2020 during the pandemic and went into bankruptcy, then reopened in October under the Corinthia Hotels brand and new ownership by the Reuben Brothers, a global investment company based in London, Geneva and Milan.But nearly 100 of the hotel’s workers who lost their jobs during the closure were never rehired by the new management when it reopened, a move that the trade council is blasting as a union-busting tactic.The displaced workers filed a lawsuit in March against the new ownership, claiming the loss of their jobs violated a law approved during the pandemic aimed at retaining workers, even during a change in ownership.The case is pending.Stars staying at The Surrey for Monday’s fete include Cardi B, Cruise, Alicia Keys, Shakira, Cristiano Ronaldo, Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, Angela Bassett, Tommy Hilfiger and executives from the Burberry, Valentino and Stella McCartney brands, according to the HTC.The union said it has contacted reps from each of the celebrities and asked for them to show their support for the workers.

The labor activists said they will make another round of calls to the celebs early Monday.The fired workers and their union are pressuring the stars “to step off the red carpet and stand with them” by demanding The Surrey rehire them.The Surrey is offering its gala customers an ultra-deluxe spa treatment featuring Sisley Paris for those seeking “a transformative, red-carpet-ready experience,” with “expert sculpting massage, LED light therapy, and a rejuvenating eye treatment” available.Among the former Surrey wor...