The First Star – Ethical Luxury

Until recently this hotel had a union agreement and a really good relationship with the hotel union. The First Star has heard that the Westin are still the only hotel in the Starwood chain holding out and not running with a non-union agreement.

The First Star has heard that this hotel is engaged in some serious cost-cutting. Apparently they have a no overtime rule which currently translates in to hotel workers doing a lot of unpaid overtime in order to meet their obligations. Maintenance and supplies like soap, shampoo and even toilet paper are low – all the time. As are supplies of linen and towels. Nor are there are not enough uniforms to go around.

Unsurprisingly, the hotel union officials have been denied access to the staff lunch room. As you can imagine, this is the only place workers can have discussions about these solutions to these kinds of issues with their colleagues. Denial of access to the lunch room is effectively denial of access to union support and information.

It seems pretty obvious to The First Star that management at the Stamford in Brisbane have little regard for their workers’ safety. There is no parking made available for staff members so the front office staff on late shifts have to walk through the city in the dark alone to get to their cars. There is only one security person on the books, the rest were made redundant. Let’s hope there isn’t an immediate security concern within this hotel.

Favouritism is rife through management, as it has been reported that managers ‘favourite’ staff members get more shifts than the others.

We’ve had some good news though, with the Stamford taking a step in the right direction in regards to the environment. They set up the Go Green program, which has been awarded the Golden Green Globe Award from the Sustainable Energy Development Authority in NSW.

The First Star thinks this hotel has a very aggressive attitude toward staff having access to information about their rights – let alone access to those rights. The Stamford Plaza denied workers access to the union and then sent an email to all supervisors soliciting complaints against the union organisers. Supervisors were advised that ‘under no circumstance are they [the union] to be allowed inside the building.’

The First Star has heard recently the main complaint from this hotel is that housekeepers are being over worked. They are doing 15, 16, 17 and even 18 rooms (at check out) which means that room attendants constantly feel stressed and overwhelmed. Many have complained about how this constant stress and pressure has impacted on their health.

And if the pressure isn’t bad enough, staff also feel bullied.

Housekeeping staff feel like the supervisors don’t respect them, but the staff certainly take pride in their work. Many in housekeeping have told The First Star that over the past 3-5 years, the standards in ‘luxury’ hotels have dramatically slipped. The overall cleanliness and detail once given to rooms no longer exists and housekeeping regularly cut corners because they feel they don’t have time to clean things properly.

The First Star has also been informed that housekeeping workers have also had their morning and afternoon tea breaks taken away. They are now given just half an hour for lunch, in which they are often interrupted by managers or supervisors with questions about unfinished rooms.

This hotel used to have a pretty good relationship with the hotel workers union and a even had a union agreement. The First Star thinks they might have changed their strategy. When 78% of workers voted no to the hotel’s attempt to convince workers to sign a WorkChoices agreement, workers felt extra pressure from management to sign.

While you’re enjoying the cuisine at the Sofitel, spare a thought for the workers in the kitchen. The First Star has inside information that workers at the Sofitel have organised a letter and petition to go to management about the fact that kitchen staff have no finish times on rosters. This mean that when workers take sick leave they are only paid for 3 hrs – the minimum amount. We hear they have a huge amount of signatures on that petition already. Sometimes kitchen workers have their shifts cancelled at the last minute, even after they have arrived at the restaurant. Workers aren’t even compensated for the loss of their time when their shifts get cancelled with such short notice.

The First Star has heard that working conditions are poor with workers telling us of understaffed kitchens which translates into overworked staff. We’ve been told that the kitchen’s temperature can get up to 40 degrees in summer, but the exact temperature will never be known as the thermometer used to monitor the temperature is located outside in the air conditioned hallway.

The First Star thinks every hotel should have a strong return to work programs, and we hear physiotherapists are kept hard at work at the Sofitel Brisbane because of the number of house keeping staff on this program. However, wouldn’t it be smart to train, support and resource housekeeping workers so they don’t damage their health in the first place?

Here at The First Star we’re beginning to get an idea of a hotel’s attitude by how they treat union officials. At the Stamford Hotel at Circular Quay they keep things pretty simple by denying union officials access to the canteen – which is the only place they could talk to workers.

Housekeeping are being told to finish the rooms after their 8 hours, and without being offered any overtime payment. Food and beverage workers half-hour break usually only last 10 minutes. The First Star think that these might indicate a lack of staff.

The Sheraton Perth previously had a constructive relationship with workers, including ensuring employees are given external advice on their rights in new staff inductions. More recently however, they have followed the Starwood instruction, and pushed through a non-union agreement. They were cheap about it too, not even offering a pay rise other than the absolute legal minimum. An inside source has told the First Star that workers often feel intimidated by management after being visited by the union.

The Sheraton website says that it offers delicious dining options and culinary delights that are prepared by experienced chefs. Too bad their workers are unable to experience such delights in their own canteen. The staff complaints about the quality of food are endless. Heating up frozen sausage rolls in the microwave for dinner doesn’t really conjure up images of delicious or delightful dining options. Not only that, the Sheraton in Perth has the hide to charge their staff to eat these disgusting meals in the canteen – one of few hotels that still does this.

An icon hotel for the Starwood chain internationally, this hotel likes to promote itself as the ultimate expression of luxury accommodation. However, The First Star has heard that it is luxury without much thought given to how they are seen by the staff, their community, or anyone who stills values a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work.

Starwood has continued to refuse to meet with staff representatives, and now that the law on July 1 will force them to meet, they have rushed their staff to sign a WorkChoices agreement to avoid that meeting – apparently just one of the many things Starwood dislikes about the new laws.

The Parmelia Hilton in Perth prides itself on the ability to offer guests ultimate pleasure and comfort with rooms decorated in cool, calm tones. Too bad their staff isn’t treated to the same luxuries. The First Star has been told that the Parmelia seems to be engaged in dangerous cost cutting measures which includes lights in the back of the hotel where staff work. For these workers, trying to navigate around is like feeling your way through a dungeon.

Workers feel that Management have created an anti-union environment. Workers told The First Star that management have told them they don’t wish to negotiate with unions. When union members leave out notices for workers on the canteen table, management removes them immediately.

Management also rushed through a WorkChoices contract for their workers before the new IR laws took effect. After frantic briefings, staff were balloted in the dying days of the financial year. After management’s successful ballot, they have said to their workers they are stuck with the outcome. Insiders have told us that management have gone as far as telling their staff that that even if better working conditions materialise over the next 4 years, they will not consider offering it to their workers.