Boston Hyatt fires 100 housekeepers; Governor calls for boycott

September 22, 2009 8:00 PM

Hyatt Hotel Corporation fired 100 non-union housekeepers at three Boston-area hotels and subcontracted their jobs to workers from a Georgia-based staffing agency. The entire housekeeping staff at the Hyatt Regency Boston, the Hyatt Regency Cambridge, and the Hyatt Harborside Hotel at Logan International Airport were fired August 31 and were replaced by workers from Hospitality Staffing Solutions.

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Hyatt has blamed the firings and subsequent outsourcing on the recession, but subcontracting hotel jobs is a trend many hotels in New York City and across the nation are following. Staffing agencies typically subcontract workers out to hotels for what amounts to little above minimum wage and minimal if any benefits, making them far cheaper than fulltime employees.

Many of the laid off workers had been working in the hotels for 20 or more years and had been earning upward of $15 per hour. The replacement staff are reportedly being paid about half that with no benefits.

Since the firings, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick has instructed all state employees to boycott the Hyatt hotels until the 100 outsourced workers are reinstated.

 

Greenhouse, Steven. Hyatts face protests after layoffs in Boston area. NY Times, September 25, 2009.
Johnston Chase, Katie. Patrick 'troubled' by Hyatt. Boston Globe, September 19, 2009.
Pramas, Jason. Hundreds protest Hyatt firings, speakers call for boycott of the hotel chain.Open Media Boston, September 18, 2009.
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