The Surrey is a century-old NYC hotel that has hosted American presidents and cultural icons. For decades, the Surrey operated as a union hotel with nearly 100 union-represented employees. But in 2020, the hotel was bought by a real estate firm owned by overseas investors. The new owner and their management company, Corinthia, did not rehire the workers who had kept the hotel running for decades. We consider this to be a breach of a NYC law passed during the height of the pandemic, which was designed to protect hotel workers from losing their jobs when a hotel changes hands. The former workers have now filed a lawsuit to have this issue determined.