Fairmont Miramar Hotel denies ordering staff to speak English
By SEE ENGLISH PAGE 12 Gerry Shih
Executives with the Fairmont Miramar Hotel on Tuesday denied having a policy in place that forces their employees to speak English while on the job, something which the union representing hotel workers claims has been in effect since July.
Representatives with UNITE-HERE Local 11 and the luxury hotel at 101 Wilshire Blvd. are in the midst of contract negotiations, which have stalled in recent weeks.
The controversy over an English-only policy surfaced in July, when the Fairmont’s 370-plus workers were reminded during an employee meeting to speak English while working in guest areas and in places where guests can hear them speak.
Employees notified union representatives and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which wrote a letter to hotel management warning them to immediately withdraw any policy that requires staff to exclusively speak English when on the clock, charging it violates the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the California Fair Employment and Housing Act and other civil rights statutes.
A business necessity means “an overriding legitimate business purpose,” such that the English-only rule is necessary for the safe and efficient operation of the business; the rule effectively fulfills the business purpose it is supposed to serve; and there is no alternative to the rule that would accomplish the same purpose equally well with a less discriminatory impact.
In a letter addressed to the ACLU last month, executives from the Fairmont denied that the hotel maintains an English-only policy, however, “the hotel encourages the colleagues to speak the guest language in public areas and when interacting with guests.”
Ellis O’Connor, general manager for the Fairmont, said most hotels encourage such behavior and that a “guest language” could vary from English to French to Spanish to any other foreign tongue, dependent upon the guest.
“The hotel considers this to be an imperative aspect for the hotel and its colleagues in order to ‘Turning Moments into Memories for our Guests,’ as our mission states,” O’Connor wrote. “The hotel is an equal opportunity employer and strives to maintain a working environment free from discriminatory or improper practices.
“Any allegations of discriminatory or inappropriate treatment are not tolerated.”
Representatives from UNITE-HERE Local 11 contend the oceanfront hotel has instructed employees to only speak English, even when communicating with one another. They believe the Fairmont is engaging in discrimination and have joined the ACLU in calling for the hotel to drop the English-only rule.
“Los Angeles and Santa Monica are international cities with visitors from all over the world,” said Tom Walsh, secretary treasurer for Local 11. “To force employees only to speak English, we believe, sends the wrong message.”
Walsh said contract negotiations have cooled considerably and is unsure when talks will resume.
The hotel, which was originally built in 1889 by Santa Monica’s founder John P. Jones, has 302 guest rooms, including 32 garden bungalows and 25,000 square feet of meeting and conference space. Former guests have included Greta Garbo, Cary Grant and Eleanor Roosevelt.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on September 12, 2007. Read the original PDF.