Boycott creep
Gays hit Manchester where it hurts—now they're aiming for Global Hyatt
The boycott of the Manchester Grand Hyatt by pro-gay-marriage groups may be the beginning of problems for Hyatt hotels. The company has a long history of courting LGBT business, but Hyatt’s association with San Diego hotelier Doug Manchester has begun to tarnish its image nationwide.
The problems began, of course, with the California Supreme Court decision last June legalizing gay marriage in the state. Manchester, citing his Catholic beliefs, donated $125,000 to help get a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage onto the November 2008 ballot. Soon after, Californians Against Hate, a nonprofit formed to fight for gay marriage, joined with the hotel-workers union UNITE HERE! to boycott the Manchester Grand Hyatt Downtown.
But while Manchester owns the hotel building, the business itself is run by Global Hyatt Corporation, one of the biggest hotel chains in the world. The company has heretofore had an excellent reputation among the LGBT community, donating millions to non-political gay organizations and, along the way, earning a 100-percent score from the Human Rights Campaign, one of the largest gay-rights groups in the country.
When the Prop. 8 campaign revved up, Hyatt’s only comments were to point out that while it manages a hotel for Manchester, the two are separate entities with different political views. That wasn’t enough for gay groups, who wanted nothing less than a repudiation of Manchester and possibly even a severing of ties.
As the boycott against the Manchester hotel gained momentum—Manchester himself recently conceded that it had cost the Grand Hyatt $7 million—it began to spread outward to other Hyatt hotels. In April, gay groups rallied in West Hollywood in front of an Andaz Hotel, a boutique chain managed by Hyatt. A month later, a resolution by the West Hollywood City Council called on Hyatt and Andaz to convince Manchester to change his ways, averting a more extreme call for the Andaz to end any connection it might have with Manchester. On May 13, gay groups and UNITE HERE! rallied in front of the Long Beach Hyatt and called for a repudiation of Manchester and his views, as well. In Chicago, Equality Illinois held a town hall calling on Global Hyatt to repudiate Manchester, and Hyatt met with EQIL members the following week.
“We want Hyatt global to tell Doug Manchester to put a stop to his actions and provide restitution,” said Rick Jacobs, director of the Courage Campaign, an L.A.-based progressive-politics organization. “He needs to make a very large contribution of an equal size to repeal Prop. 8.”
Hyatt is under contract to run Manchester’s hotel at least until 2037, with two 10-year options after that, so severing all ties is unlikely. But this spring, Manchester hired gay activist and PR impresario Howard Bragman to help him turn his image around. Last month, Manchester issued an apology to the LGBT community and promised never to give money to anti-marriage causes again. In addition, he offered $25,000 in cash grants and $100,000 in hotel services to gay groups. But the move was insufficient for gay-marriage groups, which plan to continue the boycott, and there are plans for additional rallies in front of more Hyatts around the country.
“We’ll do whatever we have to do,” Jacobs said, “to get Mr. Manchester’s attention and Hyatt’s attention.”
Comments
The local activist LGBT organizations like SAME, also fully support the rights of workers to fair treatment. LGBT support for the boycott will never be bought off by Manchester for any amount of money. We will continue to support Local 30's just cause until Manchester agrees to improve conditions for the workers in his hotel. The boycott cannot be fully understood unless the labor issues are also reported. This story implies that our community may be bought for a sufficient amount of money. This view is not merely incorrect, it is insulting.
I think that we need to hold Hyatt responsible to see that Prop 8 is completely repealed, and that they were instrumental in its repeal.
I don't know if Hyatt can legally drop Manchester's contract because he exposed them to this boycott.
Many things to say here. Firstly, I voted against Prop 8 but I have lost respect for the leaders of the anti-8 movement as they have become so negative and selfish to their own detriment. Secondly, having worked at four Hyatt hotels, I can attest to the hotel chain as being one of the fairest employers in this entire country. And yes, that includes those of the Gay and Lesbian persuasion (employees and patrons). Third, the attitudes and actions directed by protesters towards those caught in the middle (employees, all Hyatt hotels, employees of other businesses) because of what one person believes and what one person does with his money is simply hypocritical. As a result, the anti-8 movement has lost votes that did not need to be lost. The last election results were not that close that the movement can afford more opposition than it already had. And disagreement does not always mean hate. Fourth, Local 30 is a bad joke. The bad "conditions" at the Hyatt aren't so bad except to a small, patronized, vulnerable group who have been targeted not because they are treated so badly but because having the Hyatt go union would be a major catch for Local 30. If "conditions" were so bad at the Hyatt, the Harbor Drive hotel entrance would be clogged with disgruntled employees on a daily basis (it is not). Furthermore, many who have such strong opinions about the "conditions" at the Hyatt simply don't know what they are talking about. Some of the complainers act like Hyatt employment is akin to sweatshop conditions. As for Local 30, they should concentrate on the properties they currently "represent" as the perception with a good number of their members is that Local 30 is weak and ineffectual. Some former employees of the San Diego Sports Arena can vouch for such Local 30 weakness. The legalization of gay marriage in California could have and should have been a done deal with a positive message (and positive result - hurting nobody), despite any and all opposition. In business, such bungling of one's marketing would get people fired. Personally, I will continue to support gay-owned businesses as to do otherwise would also be hypocritical.