UNITE HERE released a study on Tuesday, 'Creating Luxury, Enduring Pain.' Following is a statement from American Hotel & Lodging President/CEO Joseph McInerney, CHA.
"The safety of our employees is our top priority and it is an issue we take very seriously.
"The fact is, while hotels and responsibilities differ and there is no one-size-fits-all solution, there is certainly a common goal to protect our employees. That's why hotels across the country are taking specific steps to ensure workplace safety. These include hiring ergonomic experts to evaluate room attendant techniques, implementing comprehensive training programs designed to minimize injuries, and investing millions of dollars in automated room cart systems.
"The hotels also work at training their housekeeping staff when they inaugurate a bedding program to make sure they have informed them of the nature of the work in a responsible manner. Where there is a union, the hotels routinely work with the union; where there is no union the hotels work directly to train the housekeeping staff.
"Recently, many hotels also have begun a "green rooms" initiative, in which housekeepers change linens only at the guest's request or at checkout. This is an effort to be environmentally responsible as well as respectful of our workers. "
"Finally, the Bureau of Labor Statistics has found that the rate of injury in our industry is lower than other comparable service-based industries, and we will continue to work to ensure our employees are not put at risk.
"Unfortunately, today, UNITE HERE has turned employee safety into a public relations event, aimed at harming the hotel industry's reputation. We hope UNITE HERE will begin to work with us to solve any safety concerns they might be aware of, instead of trying to exploit this very serious issue to further their own separate agenda -- that is, to pressure hotels during upcoming negotiations to allow the union to organize through card check neutrality. "
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