Edited to add link to story I'm quoting.
Hyatt Hotels Corp. laid off the entire housekeeping staffs at the Hyatt Regency Boston, Hyatt Regency Cambridge, and Hyatt Harborside Hotel after the morning shift had ended on Aug. 31, citing challenging economic conditions, and immediately replaced them with workers from an out-of-state staffing firm. The housekeepers had been training those very workers, from Georgia’s Hospitality Staffing Solutions, who they were told would be filling in for vacations.
Now, why would they make a move like that?
Gee, maybe it's because their housekeeping staff was paid on average $15/hour with health benefits. They've outsourced to company that pays around $8 with no benefits. Listen to the NPR story.
US Representative Michael Capuano and state Senator Anthony Galluccio called for a boycott of Hyatt.
That's Mike Capuano of Somerville, who will soon announce that he is running for Ted Kennedy's senate seat. I support him fully in this race.
The last time I remember this happening, Circuit City laid off hundreds of experienced workers and hired less experienced, lower paid, and unbenefited employees to take their place. Circuit City has since closed most of its stores and is slowly going the way of the dinosaur.
Perhaps Hyatt should be next.
Capuano went on to say:
“If we let them do this, another hotel will do it, and then another business, and on and on.’’
Yep. If Hyatt does this, you betcha other companies are going to follow suit. Why not fire off all your benefited employees and hire cheaper benefit-free employees?
Well, as you hear in the NPR story, we're dealing with human beings here. Human beings with children. Human beings with asthma, diabetes, and other conditions requiring health care. Human beings who can't afford to treat those conditions at $8.00/hour.
And in Massachusetts, you're required to buy health insurance or pay a fine in your tax return, much as the Baucus plan proposes.
This is the consequence of our representatives dragging their feet on health care reform. This is the consequence of the insurance industry crafting health care reform. This is the consequence of letting delusional screamers dominate the debate.
Please join the housekeepers protesting Hyatt.