UNITE HERE: Workers on Strike at Grand Hyatt in San Francisco
NOVEMBER 5, 2009 - Hotel workers walked off the job this morning at the Grand Hyatt Union Square in San Francisco, announcing a 3-day strike against the property, according to Unite Here Local 2.
The Grand Hyatt is owned and operated by Hyatt Hotels Corporation [NYSE: H], which consummates its initial public offering today raising more than $900 million for its principal owners, the Pritzker family.
'Hyatt's cashing out almost a billion dollars for its owners, but at the same time they're pushing to make health care unaffordable for me and my family?' remarked Aurolyn Rush, a 13-year telephone operator at the Grand Hyatt. 'That is unforgivable, and we're not going to stand for it.'
The work stoppage comes two weeks after members of Unite Here Local 2 voted by over 92% to authorize strikes at any of 31 upscale hotel properties in San Francisco. Workers at the Grand Hyatt will return to work on Sunday, November 8, but have called for customers to honor an ongoing boycott at that property. Workers at other San Francisco hotels remain on the job, though job actions remain a possibility elsewhere.
'This is a limited strike,' said Mike Casey, president of Local 2. 'It's intended to send a clear signal to this corporation that they cannot use a temporary downturn to permanently drive down workers' living standards.'
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