ALA President Camila Alire posted information to the ALA Council electronic discussion list October 23, regarding a boycott of the Hyatt in Boston, one of the ALA Midwinter Meeting hotels. Clearly President Alire’s message did not reach the union organizers or it fell on deaf ears, since today we received an e-mail blast urging ALA leaders to take a stand. ALA members who are concerned about this issue need to understand that while ALA as an organization cannot participate in organizing a boycott of this nature, individual ALA members are free to vote with their feet. The decision of whether or not to stay at the Boston Hyatt belongs to you.
President Alire’s explanation:
“ALA staff have read the wide range of communications from members, as well as the official hotel communication. Staff have shared member comments with the management of Hyatt nationally, as well as with the management in Boston.
“ALA provides a wide range of hotels for members at its conferences and recognizes that individuals selecting hotels will make different choices, for many reasons. ALA has made sure that Hyatt is aware that some of its members may choose not to stay at the Hyatt Regency Boston because of the recent outsourcing of housekeeping. ALA does, however, have a contract with the Hyatt Regency Boston for the 2010 Midwinter, which is rapidly approaching, and will honor that contract.
“Members are also reminded that ALA, like other associations, cannot engage in practices which would be viewed by the law as “restraint of trade.” ALA cannot encourage a boycott of a specific vendor, product or service. This does not mean that there cannot be discussion of a specific product, service or vendor at ALA meetings or in ALA publications, including discussion lists. But, as relates to antitrust considerations, such discussion may not seek to fix prices, regulate the availability of services or products, encourage unfair practices, encourage non-competition, or encourage boycotts. ALA members must refrain from using ALA resources, including discussion lists, for these purposes.”
Today’s e-mail blast from a Jaimie McNeil, in part:
“I work with UNITE HERE Local 26 in Boston. For the last two months we have been working alongside the fired Hyatt housekeepers in Boston order to win their jobs back. As you may know, on August 31st, all three Boston Hyatt hotels called their housekeeping staff together and fired them on the spot, replacing them with temps making half the wage. The workers have called for a boycott of all three hotels until they get their jobs back. Many of the housekeepers had worked for Hyatt for over 20 years. The housekeepers were made to train their own replacements. The outsourced housekeepers make about half of what the Hyatt workers made.
“We have been contacted by a number of you in regard to the ALA midwinter meeting this January in Boston. The Hyatt workers have also reached out to the conference planner. While it is encouraging to hear from members who are boycotting the hotel, the ALA leadership has not made a decision yet in regard to moving the current room block to a responsible hotel. Other Academic & Professional groups such as the Eastern Sociological Society have done the right thing and moved their large event to another hotel. The Hyatt 100 would like to thank the ALA members for taking a stand and are eager to meet with a local representative from ALA to share their story and find ways to work together.”
But ALA leadership has made a decision and it is informed by law. The Association will not be working with the union to organize or encourage the boycott. Individual ALA members are, of course, free to do as they wish.