Union reports on injuries to hotel workers-employees blame larger beds chains use to tempt guests

[The Straight Story]

Union reports on injuries to hotel workers


CHICAGO, Nov. 21 (UPI) -- A union representing U.S. hotel workers says women, Hispanics and Asians are more likely to be hurt doing their jobs.

Many hotel employees blame the larger beds chains use to tempt guests, The Miami Herald reported.

Francine Jones, who has been working for hotels for 18 years, is a housekeeper at the Hyatt Regency Chicago. "The mattresses, the carpets, the vacuums -- it's all very heavy," she said during a teleconference organized by Unite Here, the union.

A group of researchers retained by the union analyzed data on injuries. They concluded women, Asians and Hispanics are 1.5 times more likely to be hurt on the job than white men.

Hispanic housekeepers had an even higher injury rate, twice that of all hotel employees.

http://www.upi.com/Business_News/2009/11/21/Union-reports-on-injuries-to-hotel-workers/UPI-25121258788112/

[elocs]

1. My mom worked as a housekeeper and it is hard, backbreaking work.

It is also low paying and the housekeepers always have the whip put to them to do more rooms, work faster, but still have every room done perfectly. Also, how many of us would like somebody coming behind us to inspect every bit of work we did everyday.

I could see how Asian or Hispanic women would be more likely to be injured, being smaller of stature in general and trying to deal with king sized beds. My mother was only 5'2" when she was working as a housekeeper.