Rabbis Declare Hyatt ‘Not Kosher’

[marmar]

from the AFL-CIO blog:



Rabbis Declare Hyatt ‘Not Kosher’
by James Parks, Aug 5, 2011


A group of 21 rabbis and other community faith leaders have declared several Hyatt hotels to be “not kosher” and have vowed to avoid the hotels until they provide decent wages and safe conditions for all their workers, expecially housekeepers.

Meanwhile, in California, pressure is building on the giant hotel chain to drop its opposition to legislation that would require companies to adopt a few common-sense practices to protect housekeepers from getting hurt.

The bill would require California hotels to provide housekeepers with fitted sheets (so housekeepers don’t have to lift 100-pound mattresses to tuck the bottom sheets underneath) and mops (so they don’t have to scrub bathroom floors by hand). .........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://blog.aflcio.org/2011/08/05/rabbis-declare-hyatt-not-kosher/

[Shagbark Hickory]

1. Something tells me this isn't really about mops and fitted sheets.

:shrug:

[Brickbat]

2. Excellent. The local rabbis took the kosher designation away from a slaughterhouse that was about

to lock out its workers here several years back.

[glowing]

3. I can't believe from the standpoint of saving money time, they aren't

already using fitted sheets and mops. That seems a bit crazy to me. I'm at a lower end chain, and we've always used fitted sheets and mops. It doesn't make sense to have them struggle with a loose sheet and get on their hands and knees to clean the floors... Time is money.

[NYC_SKP]

4. Pay is less than minimum wage without benefits, it's cheaper than buying sheets and mops.

True.

[glowing]

5. I don't see how they are getting away with paying less than min wage,

unless they contract thru a cleaning company; and the cleaning company isn't providing for its cleaning staff.. At that point, it would be the cleaning agencies that should be called out. I guess it would be a start to point fingers at the Hyatt for using agencies that aren't providing safety within their company.

[NYC_SKP]

6. Not Hyatt, necessarily. There's a growing underclass of undocumented workers who are grossly abused

Underpaid, overworked, and unwilling to say anything to authorities about it for fear of deportation (at worst) or losing that job.

They perform construction, cleaning, child-care, and thousands of other services.

They'll work for very little, every family member 15 years or older working to collectively bring in a survivable income for the family.

[blogslut]

7. I worked at this one hotel...

It had this precious marble on the bathroom walls that we were forbidden to use cleaner on. Upon entering the room, we had to turn on the shower-full hot, close the bathroom door to let it fill up with steam. When it was appropriately steamy, then we were allowed to wipe down the marble with a terry towel. An incredible waste of water and time. Meanwhile their fancy schmancy linens were frayed and torn at the corners and making the beds so as to hide the wear was quite the endeavor.

[xchrom]

8. recommend

[jberryhill]

9. "Shariah Law!"

Oh, wait...