News from San Francisco: The Examiner reports that the lockout has been ruled an "offensive" one by the California Employment Development Department retroactive to october 13, when the MEG refused to allow workers to return to the hotels. According to California law, this means that the hotels now must pay fully retroactive unemployment insurance to all 4,300 workers.

The news was the talk of the picket lines Thursday. Workers said

the decision not only bought them butter and eggs, but put additional pressure

on hotel operators, who will see their unemployment tax rate jump, Callori

said.

"Now they are going to be paying twice," said Chris Desouza, a waiter

at the Argent. "They are paying the scabs, and they are paying more unemployment

taxes."

In recent weeks hotel operators had sent workers letters suggesting

they were ineligible for unemployment, said DeSouza. The letters had undermined

the confidence of some union members.

Waiter Patrick Baird said it would

"strengthen the cause," but was nothing to celebrate.

"I'd like to make it

very clear: We would prefer not to have to get unemployment," he said. "We want

our jobs back."

Que bueno, no?