This week in the War on Workers: Hyatt settles with workers it fired when they tried to unionize

Nine days after a hearing before an administrative law judge began, the Hyatt Regency Baltimore has settled with workers fired during a union organizing effort, reinstating two workers with back pay and giving a "fairly substantial settlement payment" to one who didn't want to come back to the Hyatt; a fourth had already been rehired.

The hotel also agreed to wipe out disciplinary actions taken against employees between June and January for arriving late by less than 10 minutes, "the disputed way in which they were enforcing a more stringent enforcement policy," Lingo said. The hotel also will post a statement on site that summarizes the allegations and employee rights, she said.

According to workers, Hyatt managers weren't exactly subtle about what was going on:

Philippeaux and others passed out union leaflets to co-workers. Soon after, he said, the same supervisor called him into an office.

"He said, 'That right there is a f' ' up way of trying to get fired,'" said Philippeaux, who now works in Atlanta.

Handing out union leaflets is, of course, legally protected concerted activity; Hyatt, of course, says that's not why the workers were fired.

(Continue reading below the fold.)