Wyndham whistleblowers train temp workers at Boston hotel

“We Spoke Up. They’re Not Listening.”

Workers at the Wyndham hotel in Boston clean rooms for Massachusetts General Hospital patients. They filed an OSHA complaint because they cleaned blood, vomit, feces, and needles without enough training and protection. They went on strike June 25, 2015 and they testified at Boston City Council that they were afraid for their safety at work.

Wyndham is going in the wrong direction. Two weeks later—with an OSHA inspection ongoing—the hotel made workers train temporary staff on how to do their jobs. Now temporary workers are cleaning hotel rooms where hospital patients have stayed.

Workers are worried that temporary staff do not have enough training to do their jobs safely, and may ultimately become replacement workers.

Workers spoke up. Wyndham’s not listening. Share this video to make sure they do:

Boston Globe: Hilton Back Bay Workers Unionize

“Now they have the opportunity to sit down as equals with the hotel to negotiate on their wages, benefits, and working conditions,” Local 26 President Brian Lang said. “What’s great about this is this is a hotel company that is now committed to doing this in a collaborative and responsible way.

Back Bay Hilton Workers Join Local 26

Workers at the Boston Back Bay Hilton have joined UNITE HERE Local 26. An agreement was reached between the Hotel and Local 26 to voluntarily recognize the union.

The 390-room up-scale hotel is a fixture of Boston’s skyline with an attractive location in Boston’s Back Bay neighborhood.

UNITE HERE Local 26 is a 7000-member union of hotel, food service, airport, and casino workers based in Boston.

Both parties look forward to productive dialogue in bargaining for a first union contract to cover wages, benefits, and working conditions.

Boston Globe: Wyndham hotel workers hold one-day strike

Workers at the downtown Wyndham Boston hotel are holding a one-day strike to protest an alleged lack of training and supplies to deal with medical waste left by hotel guests.

Today: Staff Strike Wyndham Boston Hotel Over Hazardous Working Conditions

STRIKE TODAY

Staff Strike Wyndham Boston Hotel Over Hazardous Working Conditions

Workers plan to attend and testify at investigative City Council hearing tonight

 BOSTON, MA—Employees of the Wyndham Boston Beacon Hill Hotel at 5 Blossom Street announced a one-day strike this morning effective 7am.

Workers at the hotel said they were not given adequate supplies or protective equipment to handle potentially infectious materials, including medical waste. The hotel advertises to area hospitals including Massachusetts General Hospital, which maintains an 8-bed sleep study at the hotel. MGH patients stay in the hotel while receiving treatment at the hospital.

Workers filed a complaint to OSHA in May, causing the agency to open an inspection that is ongoing.

Striking workers plan to attend and testify at a Boston City Council hearing tonight to share disturbing details of continued failure by hotel management to sufficiently protect staff while cleaning body fluids and materials that can cause transmission of disease.

“I am striking today because my employer has put me in danger,” said housekeeper Aura Berciano-Reyes. “I don’t want to risk my child becoming ill because I am not protected at work.”

Striking hotel workers will be available for interview today and will testify at the City Council hearing at 5pm at City Hall.

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For Immediate Release: June 25, 2015                                         

Contact: Tiffany Ten Eyck, 313-515-1807, [email protected]