Victory: Hyatt Workers Given New Jobs

categories: Activism, Cities, Corporations, Inequality, Jobs & Unemployment, News, Race Ethnicity Class & Gender, States, The Economy, Unions, Women

Published September 25, 2009 @ 02:23PM PT

Hyatt announced today that the 98 workers it "unceremoniously" laid off last month will be given new jobs in Boston at their previous rate of pay - the positions will be through the staffing agency that employs their replacements. This is a good but qualified victory: their current pay is guaranteed through the end of 2010, and Hyatt has extended their health benefits through March 2010. For workers who opt instead to go through a career retraining and placement program, they will receive their previous wages through March 2010 or until they secure new employment, whichever comes first.

Many thanks to those that joined the boycott against Hyatt; it was a small but important movement here at Change.org, and part of a much larger response in Massachusetts and beyond.

As folks mentioned in the Hyatt comments thread, these are not the only workers to be laid off, Hyatt is not the only corporation to engage in low-road strategies, and Governor Patrick is a questionable ally for some. I'm still trying to figure out why some issues and events are more attention-grabbing or seem more egregious to us than others. Perhaps in this case the treatment of the workers - and pitting of workers - at the bottom of the economic ladder was just more obvious or heart-wrenching, and these workers - with the help of unions - got the Governor's attention. At a moment when he needed some good press.

I'm proud and thankful that Change.org members joined together to let Hyatt know we won't tolerate this corporate behavior. I received an e-mail from Hyatt yesterday justifying their actions, telling me I was operating according to misinformation. We got their attention - and this is an important victory! Good work, people.

(The Hyatt Regency in Cambridge, in photo "Charles River Sunset" by Stewart Dawson)

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Comments (7)

Although Hyatt has fired those employees, it's good to see that they're going to be getting new jobs.

Posted by Edwin Bonilla on 09/25/2009 @ 02:45PM PT
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Yea! I am happy to see we can make a difference, no matter how little money we have!

Posted by Rachel Russell on 09/25/2009 @ 02:50PM PT
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I, too, received a patronising email from Hyatt filled with Orwellian-type doublespeak. Though this effort has been successful, and I hope whatever choices these workers make leads to a good job future, the tone and content of Hyatt's response to me does NOT reconcile me to their business ethic. I will avoid giving them my custom when possible, and influence friends in that direction also.

Posted by Neahle Madden on 09/25/2009 @ 04:33PM PT
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I, too, received a patronising email from Hyatt filled with Orwellian-type doublespeak. Though this effort has been successful, and I hope whatever choices these workers make leads to a good job future, the tone and content of Hyatt's response to me does NOT reconcile me to their business ethic. I will avoid giving them my custom when possible, and influence friends in that direction also.

Posted by Neahle Madden on 09/25/2009 @ 04:33PM PT
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Although I did not sign that particular petition. It is GREAT to See that complaining helps. Just wish I could afford to stay at Hyatt. Will tell people who can afford their hotels of this good deed by Hyatt.

Posted by jan Lightfootlane on 09/27/2009 @ 07:53AM PT
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If a service business needs to cut costs, how are they supposed to do it (without causing their product to lose more "value")?

Is the Hyatt supposed to start offering stale donuts at the breakfast buffet???

They did the smart thing: Get rid of workers who getting paid too much to do their job. (How is this true? Well, they obviously found people willing to do it for alot less). I do agree, however, that they should have given them more notice and what not, but hey. I have no problem with what they did.

Posted by Kevin Moriarty on 09/27/2009 @ 09:06AM PT
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Actually,as of this afternoon the workers turned down the offer. They say their old jobs at the same pay or nothing! Did things change?

Posted by Charlie Reed on 09/29/2009 @ 04:41PM PT
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Leigh is a PhD candidate in urban planning at MIT, and a consultant on U.S. Gulf Coast recovery. She sits on the Board of the Allston-Brighton Community Development Corporation in Boston, and has worked with non-profits, foundations and local governments on policies and programs aimed at reducing urban poverty and inequality.