Hyatt workers rally in San Francisco on International Women's Day
UNITE HERE and Hyatt Hotels
announced a tentative deal Monday afternoon:
The agreement will go into effect upon the settlement and ratification of union contracts by Hyatt associates in San Francisco, Honolulu, Los Angeles, and Chicago. Pending associate approval, the contracts will provide retroactive wage increases and maintain quality health care and pension benefits. The proposed new contracts would cover associates into 2018.
A key provision of the agreement establishes a fair process, which includes a mechanism for employees at a number of Hyatt hotels to vote on whether they wish to be represented by UNITE HERE. As part of the accord, upon ratification of the union contracts, UNITE HERE will end its global boycott of Hyatt.
Presumably the agreement wouldn't have been announced if the union and the company did not believe that the San Francisco, Honolulu, Los Angeles, and Chicago contracts were likely to be settled and ratified.
What's particularly interesting about this, beyond that at first blush it looks like a win by a union after a long, bitter campaign, is the timing. Hyatt heiress Penny Pritzker was confirmed as commerce secretary just last week, at a time when this deal must have been in the works.