Hyatt says fired Boston workers offered new jobs

BOSTON -- Hyatt Hotel Corp., under pressure after dismissing nearly 100 housekeepers from its three Boston hotels, promised Friday that the workers would be offered new full-time jobs elsewhere in the area.

Gov. Deval Patrick had urged state employees to stop doing business with Hyatt unless the housekeepers were rehired. A union representing about 1,700 Boston taxi drivers also threatened to boycott the hotels.

In a statement, Hyatt said the housekeepers would be offered jobs not with Hyatt but with a Boston affiliate of United Service Companies, a staffing agency. The workers would be guaranteed the pay that they received at Hyatt through the end of 2010, with Hyatt extending health care coverage through March, after which they could obtain coverage through their new employer.

"We are committed to supporting all of our associates, especially when they are negatively affected by business decisions made necessary by the most difficult economic environment in decades," said Phil Stamm, general manager of Hyatt Regency Boston.

Some of the 98 housekeepers and their supporters have claimed the workers were ordered to train their lower-paid replacements after being told they were only vacation fill-ins.



The Hyatt's offer of new jobs did not satisfy the local hotel workers union, which called it a "smokescreen" to make it appear the company was doing the right thing.

"These women have made it clear that they want to be returned to the jobs they have held for years, and Hyatt's PR scheme does not diminish their determination" said Janice Loux, president of Unite Here, Local 26, in a statement.

Kyle Sullivan, a spokesman for Patrick, said the governor was reviewing the proposal from Hyatt to ensure it would be fair to the housekeepers, who were "understandably hesitant" to trust an offer that does not restore their old jobs.

Hyatt said it hoped the proposal would renew the community's faith in the company.

"Contrary to the way our actions have been characterized by many, we did attempt to implement this staffing change in a respectful manner and many of the assertions that have been made are false," said Stamm.

"We do, however, recognize and regret that we did not handle all parts of this transition in a way that reflects our organization's values," he said.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)