edgewood49

Hello "electronic checkin/out" and more shame on the unions shame

returnoftheyeti

HNLbasedFlyer

Specifics on the Hawaii deal:

After 51 days on picket lines, striking hotel workers reach tentative deal

"The agreement, which includes a $1.50 hourly wage increase for non-tipped workers in the first year"

"Right now, the starting hourly pay for a housekeeper is about $22 an hour.

Under the deal, sources said, hotel workers would see boosts to their wages, pensions, and child or elder care funds. Collectively, the increases amount to about $6 more an hour in pay and benefits by 2021."

Kacee

In these days of insane executive compensation, I do not begrudge these employees a nickel of their compensation package.

I did find the strike tactics, which included intentionally disrupting the lives of thousands of people who had nothing to do with Marriott, deplorable.

C17PSGR

I suppose I don't begrudge them but we're all paying for it. And, the union isn't doing anything to promote educate among their members which would allow then to add more value.

Kacee

You think we're not paying for eight figure executive comp packages as well? Where's your outrage over Arne Sorensen's $13 million comp package?

I find it rather depressing that people who are able to pay hundreds of dollars a night for a hotel room, begrudge those who make the beds and clean the toilets an annual salary that is still under $50k per year.

HNLbasedFlyer

Well, I don't begrudge Arne or anyone who negotiates a pay package - if that is what they are willing to pay Arne or anyone else, more power to them. I'm sure my team wouldn't be thrilled with my pay package either, but I'm not exactly taking a cut anytime soon.

And more power to the housekeepers getting the pay package. I don't hold that against them - my personal opinion, for an unskilled position, with pay and benefits, they have it pretty good, just like others up the food chain.

travelinmanS

stant

by and large, the pay of the CEO (and any upper management) at most major corporations is insignificant. If Arne decided to forgo his compensation next year and give the money to the employees they would take home a whopping ALMOST 4 CENTS an hour extra.

Why? those hundreds of dollars a night come from my hard earned money, money I went to school and built up a business over decades for. And in the context of this discussion, the extra $$$ is going to housekeeping staff that get compensation packages OVER that of the median PhD! If you live in Arizona your family doctor likely makes only about 50% more than housekeeping will after this settlement. If you live in Puerto Rico your doctor might make LESS. Dont just look at salary, you have to consider the benefits too. these staff members get health insurance most Americans would die for (literally).

Kacee

Me too. And I try to have just a little compassion for people who did not enjoy the opportunities and advantages I did, and are instead working hard, menial jobs to support their families.

travelinmanS

So are you suggesting that we take away these worker's health insurance and reduce their salaries so they make 20% of a family doctor in Arizona? What is your point? Can't you be happy that these people will make a few more bucks and can provide health insurance for their families or you'd prefer to have them uninsured and poor?

Adelphos

Look - in a tight labor market, the terms of the deal (if accurate) look fair. The issue is that the terms could have likely been achieved without a strike, which seemed to be mainly for show.

To those that are begrudging a labor deal, I'm not sure what you were hoping for - were you expecting the hotels to decrease worker pay? Hotels need to pay market rates, and wages are up. It doesn't matter if the labor is "skilled," "unskilled," requires "education" or not, it is supply and demand, and hotel staff are in demand in a world where people are spending more and more on travel and paying more for experiences.

edgewood49

There is so much ureteric about the "poor" under advantaged hotel workers and how much the greedy executives make in compensation. "Horse feathers" As a businessman and owner of a construction company union workers I can tell you dollar for dollar the union workers in this country are far better off than they want you to believe. Dollar cost average their TOTAL compensation exceeds the average American worker who does not enjoy the pension plan, the health insurance plans, paid vacation, disability and other regional benefits that most Americans do. Thats how the "Cadillac Plan" term came to be. The unions enjoy the best benefit plans on the earth bar none. And remember there is a huge "costs" of union "fees" that pay a lot of highly paid union officials and one should look at their compensation compare it to your greedy executives then let's talk.

Now do they work or earn it yes for the most part. I am proud of my union workers and they do a great job, but if you look at the cost of goods union built is on average 37% higher. And I have a study to back that one up.

End of the day thank Equity Capital

stant

I never suggested that. I AM suggesting that anyone who has the gall to work a low skill job and then strike claiming 'one job should be enough' while asking for that level of compensation is 110% full of bull honkey. I am NOT happy that highly paid, low skilled workers are being paid a few more bucks just because the union has power - because those few bucks are going to come out of my back pocket. I have no problem with low skilled workers. I admit anyone who works hard. I do have a problem with people who have unrealistic expectations for compensation - ask how union negotiating power benefited anyone working for hostess....

stant

This isnt about hotels not paying market rates. didnt you read what the union rep said? more or less: "now other hotels will have to increase their wages too". This was about a special interest with a stranglehold on labor resources artificially inflating wages.