Jobs with Justice Blog » hyatt

Central Indiana JwJ supports Hyatt workers in civil disobedience action as part of nationwide protests

Allison Luthe — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 17:53:03 +0000

For the first time in Indianapolis’s recent history, 43 participants staged a mass civil disobedience in front of the Hyatt Regency downtown. Hospitality workers and community supporters of the hotel workers were there to stand up for the Hyatt workers who have been asking management to stay neutral since November of 2008. Among the 43 were two JwJ staff members, seven steering committee members and many other JwJ pledge signers.

On June 16, reports surfaced that the Hyatt had plans to sell the Hyatt Regency in Indianapolis, adding to the uncertainty that Hyatt workers in Indianapolis already face. Over the past decade, taxpayers in Indianapolis have invested $1 billion into the development of the local hospitality industry. The hotel and convention industry in Indianapolis is booming yet at the Hyatt Indianapolis, a non-union hotel, subcontracting of jobs is rampant, hours have been reduced in recent months, and workers earn some of the lowest wages of any

Continue reading Central Indiana JwJ supports Hyatt workers in civil disobedience action as part of nationwide protests

JwJ San Francisco Sits Down to Support Hotel Workers Rising

Sheila R. Tully — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 13:40:04 +0000

Members of Jobs with Justice San Francisco turned out in force to support UNITE HERE Local 2 hotel and restaurant workers as they took to the streets to demand a fair contract on July 22. Prior to the rally at Local 2 Plaza in downtown San Francisco, community activists, clergy, and union members packed a civil disobedience training session at Local 2 headquarters. There they reviewed plans to close the street in front of the Grand Hyatt in Union Square.

An hour later, as tourists stared in amazement and snapped photos, fifteen hundred people marched through the streets and converged on the Grand Hyatt, cheering and chanting in several languages in support of the hotel and restaurant workers. The boisterous crowd reflected the diversity of San Francisco as youth from POWER (People Organized to Win Employment Rights), PODER (People Organizing to demand Environmental and Economic Rights), Chinese Progressive Association and Young Workers United joined teachers, nurses, clergy, teamsters, longshoremen, many other union members and elected city officials to condemn

Continue reading JwJ San Francisco Sits Down to Support Hotel Workers Rising

U.S. Chamber of Commerce Elected 2009 Scrooge of the Year

jwjnational — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 18:31:56 +0000

The Chamber’s narrow, radical agenda advocating for anti-worker, profit-focused solutions to the broken health care, labor, and environmental systems garnered them the most votes for the national Jobs with Justice “Scrooge of the Year” award.

Thousands of votes were cast in the Jobs with Justice annual contest to determine which greedy, cold-hearted organization or person deserves the title “Scrooge of the Year.” Voters chose the Chamber of Commerce as their winner this year as it’s became increasingly clear that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce has developed into a front group for a few narrow interests, not a membership association that represents the voice of mainstream American businesses. The Chamber has spent millions of dollars lobbying against legislation that would benefit workers and families like the Employee Free Choice Act, health insurance reform, paid sick days, and environmental regulations. Their extreme positions have led some companies and local chapters of the Chamber to disaffiliate from the national group.

This year’s Scrooge contest pitted the Chamber of Commerce against Bank of America, nominated for their role in the sub-prime lending crisis and failure to extend credit to small businesses, Hyatt Hotels for their Scrooge-like firing of 100 housekeepers in Boston and other anti-worker actions,

Continue reading U.S. Chamber of Commerce Elected 2009 Scrooge of the Year

VOTE NOW for Scrooge of the Year!

jwjnational — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 20:16:02 +0000

Each year, national Jobs with Justice gives an “award” to the greediest, most cold-hearted company or person of the year. Nominations for the 2009 Scrooge of the Year are in, and it’s time to vote!

The nominees are:

Bank of America

U.S. Chamber of Commerce

Hyatt Hotels

Publix Supermarkets

Student Loan Companies Sallie Mae & Citibank

or write in your own candidate

VOTE NOW!!!

This is JwJ’s tenth annual online contest to determine the national figure who does the most harm to working families. READ BELOW about why these nominees are so deserving of the title “Scrooge of the Year”.

Bank of America

Bank of America had a hand in the worst of the subprime lending excesses, providing financing to the four of the top five largest subprime lenders during the years prior to the crash including Countrywide Financial, Ameriquest, New Century Financial Corp, and First Franklin. Between them, these four firms issued over $320 billion in subprime loans from 2005-2007. As a result of these kinds of abuses, Bank of America helped crash the economy and then needed a bailout.

Bank of America accepted bailouts and backstops totaling $199.2 billion, with taxpayers still on the hook for

Continue reading VOTE NOW for Scrooge of the Year!

Update: Two Worker Victories in Providence

Allison Fletcher Acosta — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 15:35:26 +0000

Last week we told you about two campaigns that Rhode Island JwJ supported during JwJ’s economic recovery week of action – an ordinance to protect against Hyatt-style subcontracting in the Providence Convention Center District, and a union contract campaign for food service workers at Brown University where health care was a key issue.

Yesterday, Brown dining service workers voted to approve a new three-year contract that keeps health care affordable and includes 2% wage increases each year.

Last night, the Providence City Council took a final vote to approve the Hospitality Business Protection and Worker Retention Ordinance. The ordinance will require that hospitality businesses in the district, including the Dunkin’ Donuts Center, the Rhode Island Convention Center, Veterans Memorial Auditorium, and three hotels, retain employees for at least six months in the event of a sale or subcontract of the business and maintain the prevailing wage and health insurance standards.

These victories come as “the most dangerous woman in Rhode Island moves on” and as RI JwJ welcomes a new staff person. We wish outgoing RI

Continue reading Update: Two Worker Victories in Providence

Providence City Council Votes to Protect Against Hyatt-style Subcontracting

Allison Fletcher Acosta — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 17:00:31 +0000

On October 1st, surrounded by 100+ supporters of the measure from UNITE HERE Local 217 and Jobs with Justice, Providence became the first city to act since the scandal provoked by the firing of the “Hyatt 100” in Boston. These 100 housekeepers were left with no jobs when three Boston Hyatt Hotels replaced them in with low-wage subcontractors.

The Providence City Council, taking the first of two required votes, voted unanimously to approve an ordinance to protect against Hyatt-style subcontracting in the Providence Convention Center District. The Hospitality Business Protection and Worker Retention Ordinance will require that hospitality businesses in the district retain employees for at least six months in the event of a sale or subcontract of the business and maintain the prevailing wage and health insurance standards.

Councilman Solomon introduced the legislation:

I am proud to be working to protect Providence workers from Hyatt-style layoffs. Our cities have invested massive public resources to build the tourism industry. In return tourism employers should provide good middle class jobs, whether at the Hyatt in Boston or the Convention
Continue reading Providence City Council Votes to Protect Against Hyatt-style Subcontracting

Boston Workers March for an Economy That Works for Everyone

rand wilson — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 20:44:14 +0000

The figures are staggering. Unemployment is at 9.1 percent and new unemployment claims continue to increase. By one measure, real unemployment and underemployment are double the official rate. According to the Labor Department, job seekers now outnumber openings by six to one!

That’s why more than 1,000 union members, unemployed workers, students, clergy and community leaders came together for an October 1 march and rally to highlight the growing jobs crisis. The group protested on the Boston Common, at Verizon’s New England headquarters and at the Hyatt Regency Hotel against a corporate agenda that has left far too many workers behind.

Eighty labor and community groups sponsored the march and rally. Accompanying the march was the IBEW Local 103 One Hundred and Third Drum and Bagpipe Band and the Somerville Second Line Social Aid and Pleasure Society Marching Band.

The action also focused on how big banks have misused our tax dollars. So far, few of the hundreds of billions in taxpayer money that went to the big banks have reached Main Street. Robert Haynes, President of the Massachusetts AFL-CIO said:

“Economic recovery isn’t
Continue reading Boston Workers March for an Economy That Works for Everyone

100 Hyatt Housekeepers Fired, Outsourced in Boston

Allison Fletcher Acosta — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 17:59:15 +0000

On August 31 all 100 housekeepers at Hyatt’s three Boston area hotels were fired. They were given their last paychecks, told to clean out their lockers and leave. Some had worked for Hyatt for more than 20 years.

The housekeepers had been told they were training workers who would be filling in for vacations, but they had in fact been training their replacements. Upon being fired, they were immediately replaced by workers from an out-of-state subcontractor Hyatt brought in which will pay workers $8/hour with no benefits.

Last night, more than 400 people, including members of Massachusetts JwJ and UNITE HERE Local 26 gathered outside the Hyatt Regency Boston to demand that they give workers their jobs back. Several state and local politicians attended the rally, and Mayor Menino issued a statement in support of the workers. Stay tuned for updates on this story.