151 unions representing over 90,000 members in Arlington, Belmont, Boston, Brookline, Cambridge, Chelsea, Everett, Lexington, Lincoln, Malden, Medford, Melrose, Needham, Newton, Revere, Somerville, Stoneham, Waltham, Watertown, Wellesley, Weston, Winchester, Winthrop, and Woburn.

Home

Resolution for State to Boycott Hyatt Over Firings is Defeated

printable page
Submitted by jonah on October 6, 2009 - 9:17am.

 By Katie Johnston Chase, Globe Staff

 

Republicans today shot down a Senate resolution by three state Democrats to boycott Hyatt Hotels Corp. The resolution was filed in response to the hotel chain's firing of 98 staff housekeepers from the three Boston-area Hyatts to replace them with lower-paid workers from an outsourcing company.

“It’s like throwing ice water on the economy,” Senate Minority Leader Richard R. Tisei told the State House News Service. “The bottom line is, there are a lot of businesses that are hanging on, just barely hanging on and just barely able to stay in business in this business climate.”

According to the resolution, introduced by Senators Anthony Galluccio, Jack Hart, and Anthony Petruccelli, the Senate would recommend that “state department and agencies, city governments, and elected officials refrain from using the Hyatt’s services until the housekeeping staff employees are restored to their original employment and work conditions.”

Tisei condemned the resolution during an informal Senate session, in which one senator can prevent the Senate from taking action, saying it was "unprecedented" for a state to advocate boycotting a private business. Galluccio said he will reintroduce the resolution at the Senate’s next formal session.

Last week, Gov. Deval Patrick said he would call for state employees to boycott Hyatt facilities while on official business if the housekeepers' jobs aren't restored. The hotel company then offered to place the workers with a staffing firm at their old wages, a proposal a majority of the housekeepers have rejected.

Today at 5:30 p.m., Unite Here Local 26, which has been supporting the nonunionized housekeepers, has organized a picket in front of the Hyatt Regency Boston downtown. The housekeepers will be joined at the Hyatt by workers and community leaders from the Rally for Jobs -- sponsored by the Massachusetts AFL-CIO, the Greater Boston Labor Council and Massachusetts Jobs With Justice -- who will be marching from the Verizon offices on Franklin Street to the Hyatt.

Site union-made by:
Union built by Prometheus Labor Prometheus Labor Union Websites