July 31st, 2024
Dear Steve Jarmuz, Craig Smith, and Douglas Jemal,
As a Hyatt hotel, our mission is to “care for people so they can be their best.” As Hyatt “colleagues,” we believe we can only do this if we are supported in our workplace and empowered to make it better. We are organizing a union because we believe that we need to have a voice as workers if we are to be our best. Only then can we offer the same for our guests.
Many of us have invested years or decades of our lives in this hotel while others have only recently joined the team, yet we are all united in that we care deeply about our jobs, about each other, and about our workplace. We all take pride in working at one of the largest, premiere hotels in Buffalo. However, for years our guests have been telling us that while they appreciate our service and our hard work, it’s obvious we are understaffed, unappreciated, undersupported, and struggling against a poorly maintained building.
We know it is not easy to operate a hotel. Many of us deeply respect the work that some of our managers do to help us sort through the chaos. Yet we know that there is only so much a good manager can do. Our desire to organize is not a reaction against any individual or any policy. Rather, we are organizing as a commitment to work together to make our workplace better for all of us. That is why we are calling on you to respect our right as workers to organize. Many employers create an environment of fear to try to frustrate their employees’ right to choose whether they want a union. We are asking you to be different. Attached to this letter are the Fair Election Principles. By signing and adhering to these principles, you could provide a level playing field for us to make this decision for ourselves.
Many of the groups, business travelers, and families who visit Buffalo are first introduced to our city through the hospitality we provide as Hyatt employees. We aim to do right by these guests, and also by the community that has supported us and relies on the business we bring. We know that doing right by them will require real changes here, and it will require that we, as colleagues, are given equal force in making the decisions that need to be made. Ultimately, we are organizing to make the Hyatt Regency Buffalo the best hotel in the city to work in, because only then can we create the best hotel in the city for our guests to visit.
Sincerely,
The Hyatt Regency Buffalo Workers United Organizing Committee
Luke Sills
Tiba Salvatore
Garion Lopez
Jillian Morrison
Layla Carpenter
Jeff Davis
Maiva Habimana
(and those who wish to be anonymous)
Hyatt Regency Buffalo – Fair Election Principles
- The right to organize a union is a fundamental civil right essential to democracy.
- If Hyatt Regency Buffalo workers choose to unionize, there will be no negative repercussions from management.
- The Hyatt agrees not to make any implicit threats (lawful but unethical) or explicit threats (unlawful).
- If the Hyatt holds a meeting with workers on company time to discuss unionization, then Hyatt Workers United may hold a meeting of equal length on company time. This holds true for one-on-one meetings or any discussions that the Hyatt chooses to hold with workers during the union organizing effort. If the Hyatt posts any anti-union material on its premises, it will provide the Hyatt Workers United equal space to post pro-union material.
- Leadership and management must not bribe or threaten workers with changes to wages or benefits to gain support.
- Principled disagreements are part of the campaign process, but disparaging remarks about Hyatt Workers United or the labor movement are not appropriate and not conducive to a spirit of mutual respect and harmony, and should not be made. Additionally, ad hominem attacks against individuals are unacceptable.
- If any worker feels they have been retaliated against in any manner or terminated due to their union activity, the Hyatt will agree to resolve this immediately by a mutually agreed-upon arbitrator. The worker would still have the right to go to the National Labor Relations Board.
- Management will disavow messages from any third party that implies that choosing a union will jeopardize jobs or negatively impact Hyatt workers.
- The Hyatt will either stipulate to a non-NLRB election in the quickest timeframe or agree to voluntarily recognize the union based on a majority of signed union authorization cards.
- These are voluntary principles of conduct and, once signed, reflect the company and union’s shared desire for a creative, collaborative, and innovative labor-management relationship. If a party believes that any of the principles contained in this document has been violated, then before taking any public or legal action, they will notify the other party in writing and meet within 48 hours to resolve the issues raised and negotiate a resolution in good faith.
- Negotiations: If workers choose to unionize, the shared goal of the Hyatt and the Union will be a union contract that takes into account the company’s need to remain flexible and grow; the dignity, respect and value of every worker; and the importance and value of full employee engagement and creative problem-solving. The company and the union commit to information sharing (as required by the law) and joint creative problem-solving. The workers will vote on whether to accept the agreement. If no agreement is reached within (6) months of recognition, the parties may mutually agree to mediation and/or interest arbitration to resolve any outstanding issues.
- Partnership in the mission of the company: The union pledges that if the workers choose union representation, the union will be committed to the Hyatt’s success and will work in partnership with the Hyatt to fulfill the mission of the company. The union embraces a participatory culture where the union contributes to the continual improvement of processes and shared responsibility for quality, innovation, and value.