Report Released on Working Conditions at Hyatt Santa Clara 
by Anu Mandavilli
On March 27th, 2009,“Rising Together”, the labor-community alliance that the SJPJC supports, organized an event to release “Invisible No Longer”, a report that collects hotel workers’ testimonies about working conditions at the non-union Hyatt Santa Clara, and the responses of community leaders. The report was based on a community hearing event held in November 2008 where a panel of elected officials, community activists, and religious leaders listened directly to worker testimony.
More than 100 community members attended the event and signed a pledge for Hyatt Santa Clara workers, including Hon. Paul Fong, a member of the California State Assembly, Jamie McLeod, a member of Santa Clara City Council, Arturo Gomez, the Artistic Director of Community Engagement at Somos Mayfair, Leslie Bulbuk, the President of BAYMEC, and Rev. Margo Tenold & Fr. Robert Brocato from the faith community. The event included a delegation, the largest ever at the Hyatt Santa Clara, that was led by Rev. Rebecca Kuiken from the Interfaith Council, Liz Gonzalez from Silicon Valley DeBug and Mike Root of the Affordable Housing Network. The delegation conveyed their support for the workers and presented a copy of the report to Mr. Peter Rice, the General Manager of the hotel.
According to statistics collected by the California Employment Development Dept., the hotel and motel industry is one of the lowest-paid industries in Santa Clara County, with average weekly wages of just $538. According to testimony by workers, it is clear that workers at the Santa Clara Hyatt are also not paid enough to survive in Silicon Valley. Worker Rigoberto Gutierrez from the Hyatt Santa Clara reported that he works two jobs in order to make ends meet. Further, he works 80 or more hours each week, and also works seven days a week such that he has only about 5 days completely off in a year.
“Invisible No longer” also carries workers’ testimonies about abusive work conditions and unfair labor practices at the non-union Hyatt Santa Clara. For example, housekeepers are typically asked to clean 17 or more rooms each day, and in order to complete their room quotas, many housekeepers report skipping their ten minute breaks – rest periods that are necessary to prevent Repetitive Stress Injury. Housekeeper Eleazar Dumuk talked about the pain she suffers because of her job: “When I lie down I feel pain in my fingertips; it feels like getting pinched with needles. My hips and my lower back hurt from lifting so many mattresses, and my legs feel stiff… I often wake up in the middle of the night because of the cramps in my legs and the stiffness in my fingers.”
You can go to risingtogether.wordpress.com for updates about the campaign, a downloadable copy of the report and to sign a pledge in support of the Hyatt Santa Clara workers. Please contact secretary AT sanjosepeace.org if you would like to get involved in this campaign!
