Demonstrations Held at Hyatts across the U.S. to Launch Global Boycott

UNITE HERE represents workers in the U.S. and Canada in:

August 3, 2012

Around the country, Hyatt hotel workers and their allies held demonstrations on July 26, marking the launch of a global boycott of Hyatt Hotels. The far-reaching boycott is a response to the hotel company’s extensive abuse of its workers and low wages.

The global boycott marks the largest escalation to date in an ongoing campaign for basic workers’ rights. Hyatt has singled itself out as the worst employer in the hotel industry by abusing its housekeepers and other hotel workers, and imposing dangerous and health-threatening workloads on those who remain.

“I don’t want anyone to become crippled from this work,” said Angela Martinez, Hyatt housekeeper for over 20 years. “I ask everyone to please respect our boycott. We are hard-working women, not machines.”

In conjunction with the global boycott launch this week, major organizations and prominent public figures showed their support by issuing a call to more than 2 million people, encouraging them to go online and “Vote Hyatt the Worst Hotel Employer in America.”

The global boycott was announced on Monday, July 23 at a press conference in Washington, D.C. with leaders from the NFL Players Association, the National Organization of Women (NOW), the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, and other progressive organizations. Protests have taken place this week in 20 US cities, including Los Angeles, Honolulu, San Francisco, Chicago, Baltimore, Indianapolis, Seattle, and Boston.

The global Hyatt boycott has been endorsed by the IUF, the international federation of trade unions, and virtually every union representing hotel workers worldwide. Additionally, nearly 5,000 individuals and organizations have pledged to honor boycotts called by Hyatt workers nationwide.