Layoffs posted for 400 hotel workers, 1,300 food service workers
Around 400 hotel employees in Milwaukee and Madison, and another 1,300 food service workers at Miller Park and Lambeau Field, are losing their jobs — the latest in a series of Wisconsin hospitality industry layoffs tied to the coronavirus pandemic.
The hotel employees being laid off are at six Milwaukee sites and two properties in Madison, according to new notices filed with the state Department of Workforce Development.
The affected Milwaukee hotels are: Kimpton Journeyman Hotel, 310 E. Chicago St., with 97 employees, operated by Kimpton Hotel and Restaurant Group LLC; Westin Milwaukee, 550 N. Van Buren St., 78 employees, White Lodging Services Corp.; Marriott Milwaukee Downtown, 323 E. Wisconsin Ave., 56 employees, White Lodging; Hilton Garden Inn Milwaukee Airport, 5890 S. Howell Ave., 48 employees, Raymond Management Co.; SpringHill Suites Milwaukee Downtown, 744 N. Fourth St., 20 employees, White Lodging, and Home2 Suites, 5880 S. Howell Ave., 16 employees, Raymond Management.
The affected Madison hotels are Hampton Inn and Suites, 440 W. Johnson St., 45 employees, Raymond Management, and SpringHill Suites, 4601 Frey St., 37 employees, Raymond Management.
Also, institutional food service provider Delaware North Cos. is laying off 1,303 people at Miller Park, in Milwaukee, and Green Bay’s Lambeau Field.
Most of the layoffs have already been occurring, dating to March, according to the notices.
But the employers had hoped those job losses would be short term — and are now saying the period of the layoffs is being extended.
“The pandemic has proven longer in duration and more devastating than anyone could have predicted,” said the Delaware North notice.
The latest layoffs come one week after similar notices were issued for 425 Marcus Hotels employees in Milwaukee,
Lake Geneva and Madison who are being laid off in July.
Nationally, the hotel industry is posting a 58% unemployment rate.
In the Milwaukee area, hotels have been running lately at a 25% occupancy rate.
That was actually an improvement during a season when many Milwaukee hotels typically are running near full occupancy thanks to Summerfest, Milwaukee Brewers games and other activities that have been canceled or curtailed.