Boston Hyatt-Worker Dispute Continues

by Leigh Graham

categories: Activism, Cities, Corporations, Health & Healthcare, Jobs & Unemployment, Race Ethnicity Class & Gender, The Economy, Unions

Published October 02, 2009 @ 11:07AM PT

Last week we joined and covered the boycott initiated by MA Governor Deval Patrick against Hyatt Hotels, for what he saw as the "unceremonious" termination of housekeeping staff and their replacement with "outsourced" low-wage workers from a temporary staffing agency based in Georgia. In part through Change.org member activism, Hyatt offered the laid off workers new jobs at their higher wages with benefits into 2010. In a bold, and I think very cool, move, the majority of the workers rejected the offer, demanding their old jobs back. With the help of UNITE HERE, which has also joined the boycott, the workers are generating publicity and protesting Hyatt's actions - the case offers a great window into why it's so important to support service worker unionization.

Today Radio Boston has a very good program on Hyatt's corporate behavior and the larger issue of outsourcing and worker exploitation at the bottom of the economic ladder. The embroilment continues - Hyatt has terminated its relationship with the Georgia outsourcing firm, Hospitality Staffing Solutions, in part due to worker claims of being forced to work without pay, only to contract with another staffing firm, United Service Companies. People are also rightfully asking - why weren't these workers unionized in the first place?

Workers have support beyond Massachusetts, and the case is bringing a critical focus on service industry unionization, which in 2006 surpassed manufacturing - the area that typically comes to mind when we think of unions. 75% of all the jobs in the US are in the service sector now, and unionized service workers earn 10-15% than their non-unionized counterparts, and are 25% more likely to have health insurance and pensions. And though we're increasingly discovering ways to outsource service jobs, housekeeping and janitorial positions have the potential to be good, secure, local jobs. That's why it's so important to hold large organizations - corporations, hotels, universities, hospitals - to high labor standards and demand that in exchange for your business, tuition dollars, patronage, they treat their workers fairly and pay them living wages with benefits.

Join the Hyatt boycott now.

(Photo, "Hotel Workers Rising," of UNITE HERE members marching in an immigrant rights rally in San Francisco, by Brooke Anderson)