Fired Housekeepers Seek Nationwide Hyatt Boycott

Published September 29, 2009 Updated September 30

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BOSTON — A union advocating for the housekeepers fired from Hyatt’s Boston-area hotels is calling for a nationwide boycott of the hotel chain.

The nearly 100 housekeepers who lost their jobs said they would turn down the hotel company’s offer from Friday to extend benefits until March and housekeeping work at other hotels.

“When I heard about the offer, I think it was a joke,” said former Hyatt Regency housekeeper Lucine Williams. “Just because we clean the rooms, they think that we don’t have no sense!”

Williams was joined by a few dozen other housekeepers and six Boston city councilors Monday in officially calling for a nationwide boycott of the hotel chain.

Even so, Hyatt Regency Boston General Manager Phil Stamm said Hyatt is intent on delivering on its promise. “We know many of our employees only received information late [Monday] and we have offered a meaningful amount of time for them to consider the proposal,” Stamm wrote in a statement.

Gov. Deval Patrick said he needs to look more closely at the details of the proposal before he passes judgment. “The company took a step forward by enhancing some of the benefits,” Patrick said. “But I haven’t seen all those benefits, and I don’t know whether they’re binding, which I know has been a concern of some of the workers.”

The governor has been publicly involved since last week, when he threatened a state government boycott of the hotel chain if Hyatt did not reinstate the workers.

Your Comments

[...] Fired Housekeepers Seek Nationwide Hyatt Boycott [...]

Posted by Penny Stocks List – Latest Penny Stocks List news – Fired Housekeepers Seek Nationwide Hyatt Boycott on February 2, 2010, at 9:04 PM
Write above said, “While the situation is certainly unfortunate, why are these 100 housekeepers’ stories any more unfortunate than the MILLIONS of Americans that have already lost their jobs during this recession?”

Let’s not just grin and bear it, but think about changing the structure of society. Why do hotels have to make a profit? The free enterprise system doesn’t know best — the Wall streeters showed us how poorly capitalism works; its time to discuss the alternatives to work for a better society for the average person, even if the heights of wealth will no longer be enjoyed by some.

Posted by Human Project on October 30, 2009, at 9:20 PM
A boycott would only lead to worse financial hardship for hotels and therefore a loss of even MORE jobs. Urging a boycott during harsh economic times is an irresponsible knee-jerk reaction by a governor trying to generate more press for himself without giving any thought to the consequences of his actions.

While the situation is certainly unfortunate, why are these 100 housekeepers’ stories any more unfortunate than the MILLIONS of Americans that have already lost their jobs during this recession? Since Marriott, Starwood, Hilton and other hotel chains have also laid off thousands of workers, should we boycott the entire industry? Should we also boycott the auto industry, all retail and consumer goods, sinking our economy into deeper recession just to “stick it to the man” and punish ourselves in the end?

Posted by Anonymous on October 19, 2009, at 3:44 PM
Above comment claims Martha Coakley can not weigh in on Hyatt Housekeepers
firings and replacements. And claims Martha Coakley is “doing her job.” Is Martha
Coakley now running for United States Senator? Is she prohibited from commenting
due to her current job as the writer seems to claim? Please, Martha Coakley should
be able to do better than that. I admired her before but now feel she lacks the
courage that Capuano showed. Her seeming silence is a signal to me that she is
“being handled” by her many wealthy and powerful supporters. Care to reveal evidence that as a senate candidate she is in the fray on this crucial economic scandal? Is the anonymous blogger employed by Coakley machine?

Posted by joe connor on October 2, 2009, at 10:28 PM
Coakley has not been quiet on this issue. The Globe reported last week that her office is investigating this issue and that her office cannot comment on a potential criminal issue. She is doing her job and not looking for headlines. Beats Capuano.

Posted by Hyatt Hyatt on September 29, 2009, at 9:04 PM
We continue to get signatures on our petition from all over the country, including one very long entry yesterday from Scott in Wisconsin.

Please take a moment to read what he wrote, here (not on the main page because it was too long), and then add your name to the boycott list.

http://www.hyattboycott.com/News/News.php?id=7784197037804321572

One sentence worth quoting: “We, the working people of America, have a right to stable, decent jobs that will not be sacrificed to corporate incompetence and greed.”

Amen.

Posted by Hyatt Boycott on September 29, 2009, at 7:03 PM
Hyatts original sin was so gaudy and their chronic inability to fathom the damage
done to their reputation should make the launchings of Senate races in Ma. a good
test of candidates meddle. Michael Capuano deserves kudos as does Deval Patrick.
So far- Martha Coakley has been resoundingly quiet. Which seems odd- she seemed
like a natural for this issue. Question- If the new workers making $8 per hour with no
benefits need medical help- who will pay for their visits to the emergency room?
This seems like a subsidy of Hyatt. Penny Pritzker needs good imaginative advice
apart from Goldman Sachs advice on the imminent I.P.O. stock offering of Hyatt.

Posted by joe connor on September 29, 2009, at 11:29 AM
When I first heard the story, I fired off a letter to Hyatt and another to the Meetings and Travel Department at my company. I recommend we all do the same. For crying out loud…these women have been cleaning bathrooms after strangers for a mere $15.00 an hour for 20 years — they deserve much better. Geez, I hate cleaning my own bathroom!

Posted by Gregg on September 29, 2009, at 11:22 AM

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