About 15 people were arrested this afternoon during a show of civil disobedience at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, standing in the middle of Tenth Street while calling for better treatment and more jobs in the hospitality industry.

More than 100 organizers and protesters gathered on either side of the street to watch and chant as police tightened plastic handcuffs around the wrists of 16 people and led them to a police van. The protest began before 4:30 PM and culminated at about 5 PM, when the small line of workers and organizers marched into the street and linked arms, standing still as police issued orders to disperse and warnings that they would soon be arrested.

The protest, organized by UNITE HERE, was held on behalf of workers from Local 57 of the union representing hospitality workers such as servers, housekeepers and concession stand operators at hotels and convention centers.

Beatrice Binion, 74, of East Liberty, who was arrested, said she felt increasingly harried at her job as a concession stand worker at the convention center and Mellon Arena. She said she had watched about one third of her colleagues lose their jobs in recent years, one of whom later committed suicide.

"They need to come out and hire more people, so we don't have to rush, we don't have to hurry the customers," Ms. Binion said. "We want to feel...that we are doing the very best that we can."

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