Hilton’s dysfunctional team of “negotiators”

One of the most disturbing and worrisome problems plaguing the negotiations is the unwillingness and/or inability of management's "negotiators" to make decisions and to engage in real dialogue with the Union.

It has become increasingly clear to everyone in the room that management's chief negotiator, attorney Desmond Massey, though very experienced, has not been given authority to actually negotiate. Furthermore, the management representatives attending, Waleska Otero from the El San Juan, Dora Soler from the Caribe Hilton and Rayma Ferrer from the Condado Plaza seem not only incapable of negotiating a labor contract, but unwilling to address the Union's issues regarding what the Union side calls management's "culture of abuse" (which is one of the most important issues).

"These three managers are largely to blame for the problems we're trying to fix in these negotiations," commented Local 610 President Felix Mejias, "so they aren't willing to acknowledge realities that reflect poorly on themselves."

Orders have apparently come from higher up in Hilton that the three H.R. Directors are expected to keep their mouths shut at least for the most part. With the exception of two short but constructive dialogues between Rayma Ferrer and union negotiators, when they do open their mouths, it is usually to say something embarrassingly inane, illogical, or dishonest.

Perhaps the most embarrassing moment came on Saturday, when Dora Soler (Director of Human Resources, Carible Hilton) accused an employee of being a liar.

Angel Perez Morales, a steward from the Caribe Hilton had just spoke at the microphone to say that employees at the Caribe Hilton are successively given more severe disciplinary punishments for totally different types of infractions. He was responding to Soler's claim that the hotel's progressive discipline policy only increases the severity of the discipline when employees repeat the same or similar types of infractions.

After Perez made his statement, Soler said: "That's not true, and he knows it."

Then, union negotiator Peter Ward asked Soler: "Are you calling him a liar?"

"Yes," Soler responded, nodding her head. Immediately, the more than 100 workers in the room erupted indignantly at the insult.

Peter Ward then addressed himself to Massey (Hilton's chief negotiator): "Your client just called this man a liar."

Massey claimed that he didn't here Soler's comment, even though everyone else in the room clearly heard her say it.

Then, to everyone's astonishment, Soler said: "No. I never said that."

This caused another eruption, and no matter how obvious it was (to more than 100 witnesses) that Soler herself was now lying blatantly, she continued to shake her head and deny making the comment.

One worker who witnessed the episode said: "Dora just destroyed any credibility she might have had. She should have just admitted the truth and said that she misspoke in the heat of the moment, but instead, she just kept lying."

Waleska Otero has also distinguished herself by being the most petty, vindictive, and unresponsive person in the room.

Generally, she refuses to answer any questions, or to discuss anything. She just sits next to the lawyer with a saccharin smile plastered to her face. Local 610 Business Agent (and El San Juan cook) Jo Ann Estrada commented: "Waleska is just being Waleska. She is incapable of listening to employees with an open mind or heart. She never admits that she's wrong. Her only concern seems to be her own gigantic ego."

Massey, the lawyer, has clearly been put on a very short leash. By way of explaining his inability to make decisions about even small issues, he repeatedly reminds the union negotiators that he has "a constituency." He constantly has to leave the room to get minute marching orders by phone from whomever in Hilton actually has authority to make decisions. As a result, the negotiations are proceeding at a snail's pace and management has been incapable of agreeing to some very basic union demands.

"Unless Hilton gives someone competent the authority to make decisions and sends that person to the bargaining table with instructions to listen to and engage constructively with the Union, the outcome will be a totally avoidable conflict," Union negotiator Michael Simo concluded.