A union boss has warned against visiting Southern California hotels, stating hotels are not taking COVID-19 precautions seriously. But is this hotel warning just union scaremongering or a new threat to California hotel guests?
A California Hotel Warning
Speaking on KPCC, LA’s NPR affiliate, Kurt Peterson of Unite Here warns that hotels are not following California’s safety protocols for operating during the pandemic.
“I would not go to to a hotel right now…we believe there needs to be a pause until we get it right.”
Addressing California’s decision to allow hotels to re-open last month, he said, “It is reckless and irresponsible. And it should not have been done.”
He provided an example:
“I just got off the phone at a hotel where a kitchen worker contracted COVID-19. And the problem is that the hotel is not telling us or other workers, much less the guests, about that case. And that is contrary to common sense and the L.A. County safety guidelines.”
Peterson said something else that struck me:
“Hotel workers want to go back to work just as much as everyone else, but the union is not willing to sacrifice their health for a paycheck.”
That’s a false dilemma. California unemployment combined with the federal portion of $600/week makes it more lucrative not to work, in many cases.
I cannot help but to think it is also about that. Would you rather do back-breaking labor with inadequate supplies and intense pressure or stay home with your family, stay safe, and make more money? That’s not a hard choice.
There’s something very wrong with a system that incentivizes workers not to work…and a system that pays workers so little that and puts so much pressure on them that they compromise the health mission of the hotel they serve.
Ultimately, Peterson made the argument that until workers have health insurance, we should all boycott Los Angeles and Orange County hotels. It’s the usual union argument.
CONCLUSION
It makes perfect sense why a union leader would encourage guests to stay away. Layoffs may mean more money for employees, at least for now, than working. But it should come as no surprise that hotels are cutting corners and pushing employees to do more with more limited resources. If you want to stay in a hotel, best just not to think about how dirty it might actually be…
> Read More: I Don’t Even Want To Think About How Filthy Hotel Rooms Are…
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image: iStock.com/Hispanolistic // H/T: Rene’s Points
This is exactly what two Florida GM’s told me a few weeks ago on a work trip to Miami. That they can’t get any staff to come back. One was even a Ritz Carlton.
In August when the increased benefits run out they will probably all “feel safe again.” Honestly though, I can’t really blame them. Hotels across the board are very lax with precautions.
So, how do u feel about that kitchen staff member that had covid?
Disgusted.
So, LA as a city has approximately 1% of the population actively infected right now. In a hotel with 100 employees on the premises in a day, a good 65% chance that one or more are infected. No good answers on this one. It’s a cluster-f, and this is why pandemics suck and cause such havoc. I don’t envy the employee, employer or the customer on this one.
Well yes is nice to be home and get paid,
But al depends how much money you make last year in order to file for unemployment
And honestly hotel workers don’t make to much money
I already check EDD website
Wiht income of $ 70,00 plus you get $ 2,000 believe me if you live in California is not so much
Really, I’m fine if we go back to the pre-COVID cleaning policies right now. Coronavirus is a threat when the “three Cs” converge — Google it — and surface transmission is extremely rare. Indeed, I read an EU CDC paper that said there have not even been any documented cases of transmission via surfaces. So, as long as an infected hotel employee isn’t going to be sharing my bed, I really don’t care if everything is perfectly wiped down.
I think a big part of the concern is the other employees’ health from what I gather. A kitchen staff member can infect a lot of coworkers.