Reason Enough To Boycott

[plumtreeblossom]

Three Hyatt hotels in Boston tricked their housekeeping staffs into training outsourced "vacation replacement" workers, then laid-off the staffers and installed the outsourced workers in their place. The staffers had been making $15+ per hour with health benefits and 401Ks. Some had been with Hyatt for over 20 years. The outsourced workers will make $8 an hour with no benefits. (For those not local, $8 an hour is far below a living wage even in greater Boston's poorest neighborhoods).

http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2009/09/17/housekeepers_lose_hyatt_jobs_to_outsourcing/

Obviously I have no personal need for hotels in Boston, but when employed I book local hotels for executives and clients all the time. I urge anyone working in administration or travel assistance, or anyone who travels for business or pleasure, to choose another chain. The article outlines how other hotel chains have dealt with economic hardship without ruining the lives of entire departments of staffers. This didn't have to happen. It's deplorable, and it makes me see red.

Comments

[minkrose]

This completely sucks. I've already paid for Andy & me to go to Arisia next year, and there's not point in having the passes if we aren't staying at the hotel. Nevermind that Arisia is the only for-me vacation I take all year, and I don't have any extra $$ to spend on other trips for myself right now. I certainly don't have the extra $$ to skip the con after I've already paid for it.

I'm already in the Arisia LJ group and I'll definitely be a part of anything that can be done to show displeasure with the Hyatt (letter writing, etc). But it's really not an option for me to boycott the entire con. At least I can avoid the Hyatt in the future!