New Haven Register (New Haven, CT)
Omni extends worker furloughs
Hotel reopens without full staff
NEW HAVEN — One of the Elm City’s most prominent hotels has notified state Department of Labor officials that a majority of 170 employees it furloughed at the end of March because of the pandemic-induced economic downturn could be out of work for significantly longer.
Fletcher Williams, general manager of the Omni New Haven Hotel at Yale, told state Labor Department officials in a letter received Tuesday that “due to business circumstances that were unforeseen at the time of the layoffs, the hotel now reasonably anticipates that a sufficient
number of furloughs will extend beyond six months.” The workers originally were furloughed on March 30, according to Williams.
“Regrettably, it now appears that the length and severity of the direct effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business operations are greater than previously were foreseeable,” Williams’ letter said in part. “As a result, we have had to reassess our initial understanding of the circumstances facing the hotel.”
Williams was not immediately available for comment on how much longer the employee furloughs are expected to last.
The letter to state labor officials about the employee furloughs being extended comes even as Donna Larney, the Omni’s human resources director, said the hotel had reopened for business as of Wednesday. Larney declined further comment.
The Omni originally was expected to reopen Sept. 4, according to Ginny Kozlowski, executive director of the New Haven-based Connecticut Lodging Association. But Kozlowski said she wasn’t surprised the reopening was delayed.
“Right now, they can’t host meetings or weddings because of the (COVID-19) crowd restrictions and that is the base of their business,” she said. “Without those events and business travelers, there simply isn’t enough transient business to support the hotel.”
Kozlowski said the Omni likely is operating with a skeleton staff, with hotel management doing some of the work that normally would be handled by employees. Of the 170 workers furloughed, 135 are members Local 217 UNITE Here, which represents hospitality industry workers. And of the 135 unionized workers, fewer than 20 returned to work Wednesday, according to Ian Dunn, a spokesman for the union local.
Connie Holt, secretary/treasurer for Local 217, said her members returned to work after the union successfully concluded negotiations with Omni officials.
“We have spent a lot of time and energy working with Omni management and negotiators to reopen the Omni at Yale,” Holt said. “We are proud to have reached an agreement that sets a new standard for guest and worker safety. Unfortunately, due to the COVID crisis, the hotel is not yet fully staffed.