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Haitian housekeepers say the Ritz-Carlton South Beach is sweeping them away

A A A Comments (12) By Natalie O'Neill Thursday, Jan 28 2010

Inside the lobby of the Ritz-Carlton South Beach, businessmen sip mint-infused lime water next to a display of diamond rings. Four-foot-tall vases of wild orchids vie with flat-screen TV sets for attention, and the ocean crashes just yards from the entrance.

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The Ritz-Carlton, South Beach

1 Lincoln Road
Miami Beach, FL 33139

Category: Hotels/Resorts

Region: South Beach

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Behind the scenes, things are not so pretty. Haitian-born chambermaids at the hotel have filed at least three federal discrimination complaints in the past six months, claiming leaders of the housekeeping department refuse to work with anyone from the island.

Their contention: Bosses are so blatantly nationalist they make Pat Robertson's "Haiti's pact with the Devil" statement seem bland.

In the past six months, workers say, five maids — all of Haitian descent — were fired without cause. They finger assistant director of housekeeping Sandra Zuluaga, who is Colombian, and housekeeping supervisor Marcia Evans, who is Jamaican.

Olga Jean-Jacques is a five-year employee who claims she was canned without cause. She says Evans told her: "Haitians are born from the behind, and Jamaicans come from the vagina."

The 49-year-old immigrant began changing bed sheets and scrubbing toilets for the Ritz in 2005. With barely any English skills, she believed there were few other places she could get hired. She worked long hours and "was always loyal" to the company. She was given no reason for her termination last July, she says.

Another maid in her late 40s, who asked not to be named, was let go soon after. "They don't want to work with us," she asserts in soft Kreyol.

Paul Cookley, director of marketing for the hotel, says the complaints are unfounded but declined to discuss the cases in detail. "We are aware of the charges of discrimination by certain former employees at our South Beach hotel... The Ritz-Carlton values diversity."

(He noted Zuluaga and Evans "are not going to be commenting" on the allegations.)

But the problem is not just among former employees. Explains a third Haitian worker: "I feel so hurt I want to cry... I don't think I can go back there."

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Silviaarasilvia aranana 04/21/2011 2:36:00 PM

i am sorry to say but i neever in my life work with haitias but i have learn thath they do not want to do what they instructed they want to do whath they want and they think that they not getting pay enough and thats the way they going to work you pay me nothing so i wont give you nothing thats their phylosophy

Olivier 06/13/2010 1:30:00 AM

know it's hard in a foreign country if you barely speak the language, we all went trough this ... but we got the chance to live and work here, to build a life and a home, so please be fair and don't hold court in such matter. thank you " we are Ladies and gentlemen, serving Ladies and Gentlemen " Miami South Beach hotels

Sarah 02/18/2010 12:36:00 AM

Well we are now being audited from Corporate, since this article has been posted, it has been numerous sit downs with employee's in the HK Dept on treatment here at the Ritz Carlton. We had a chance to voice our opinions on treatments from Management. Which resulted in one Manager crying, so it just goes to show the story on these unfortunate individuals that has been fired was true! Personally I am glad this has since been uncovered, now everyone can get the right treatment they deserve, regardless of your ethnic background or diversity. And to the 1st poster, it seems like you have seen things first hand, I applaud you!

Mike 02/02/2010 12:07:00 AM

Wow! This is a serious PR and HR problem for the Ritz Carlton. I recently spent a 10 days at the Ritz in San Juan and can't recall if any of the cleaning staff spoke english (most on the island didn't...not even the high school students I regularly ran into jogging down to Oceanpark). If the allegation are found true, HR needs to correct the situation and publicly maintain the brand/image. Patrons with softer impressions than some of the posters here will easily (or should I say flippantly) spend their money elsewhere. As for dropping names, its what reporters do. As a reader, I don't know if the allegations are true or not. A few employees (I have no confirmation they really are) have posted it seems to be. Poster #1 certainly swayed my thinking regarding the matter. That said, to the RC, fix it and make it go away. Insensitive perceptions of Haitians is not a winning deal these days (just look at the Carnival fiasco).

fair123 02/01/2010 5:41:00 PM

like the rest of the comments this it total bull,its just a Haitian / lawyers contention to make / extort money. There is no dought most all the Haitian that i have meet, worked with, worked for me, are lazy, lie and have the notation they are deserving everything the minute they land here, like no other country of its kind. Be humble, work for what u have, no one owes u a single thing, or get out.

Ladyboss 01/31/2010 11:31:00 PM

Haitian are the best thing that happen to this world if it wasnt for the haitians there wouldnt be no america. if it wasnt for the haitians black people would still be in slavery its sad to know people are getting more stupider then we think i am haitian and proud to be. the world will contiune to crumble beacuse of what people are doing to each other when a disater strikes why it happen shouldnt be a question because every bad thing comes with a pay back. so all those negative people that work at that hotel u should worry about losing guest because racism is wrong. and belive dont no other races work as hard as haitians that was the mistake you all made.

robert 01/31/2010 12:51:00 AM

Hatians are lazy

Alejandro 01/30/2010 10:21:00 AM

I am a former supervisor of the hotel and what that lady said is 100% true, there decriminacion with Haitians and gays as well. Besides the two people she mentions are two super dangerous and protected in that hotel. (Sandra and Marcia).

unknown 01/29/2010 6:52:00 PM

I highly doubt that people were laid off for any of those reasons. We are going trough a very hard recession, decisions have to be made. I work at the Ritz Carlton myself and am a foreigner. Do I experience what is said in the article ? NO ! Lot's of employees had to leave us last year, mostly Managers. It definitely was not a question of color nor of origin. I feel bad for people that experience racism and discrimination because of their origin, their skin color and what sexual preference they have, but we need to stick with the truth and can not just throw some names around in an article published on the internet and not think about what we do to their future ? Have proof of that and than we talk ... I know it's hard in a foreign country if you barely speak the language, we all went trough this ... but we got the chance to live and work here, to build a life and a home, so please be fair and don't hold court in such matter. thank you " we are Ladies and gentlemen, serving Ladies and Gentlemen "

Sarah 01/28/2010 7:50:00 PM

Then why hire these individuals if they can't speak English? The problem is obviously with the Ritz Carlton, what makes this matter even worst, how many Spanish ONLY speakers are in the House Keeping Dept, that doesn't work as hard as these individuals and can't even communicate in English? It's one thing to speak from the outside looking in prospective and it's another to speak from the inside looking out prospective. Similar to the previous poster I currently work at the Ritz Carlton and you? Please keep in mind this doesn't take away the fact that every Organization has rules and regulations, but to make asinine statements about who needs to learn English is a moot point, this is a English Speaking Country. FYI - My parents were born and raised in Raleigh, NC.

Al 01/28/2010 11:35:00 AM

No Discrimination here. IF you want to live in America, then you had better learn English, be here legally, or have a work visa to be here. I am in the hospitality industry and I will not hire anyone who does not speak english or refuses to learn it. It is an essential part of your job function at a hotel, especially at the Ritz Carlton, where housekeeping personell are interacting with guests. I am not generalizing this a all. There are good and bad in EVERY race, nationality and creed. This goes accross the board. No matter what language you speak....If you come here to the United States of America, LEARN ENGLISH! My grandfather had to do it, and my grandmother had to do it BEFORE THEY WERE ALLOWED TO COME HERE from Nazi Germany.

Unanimous 01/28/2010 3:20:00 AM

As a present employee at the Ritz Carlton, I have seen these actions head-on prior to the unfortunate disaster in Haiti. There has been theft by employee's to employee's sleeping (having sex) which each other in rooms, racist remarks made so on and so forth. Only to go unnoticed, for example there was a lady responsible for multiple stolen items/cash on a daily basis and nothing never happen until recently (2009), and this was due to her alliance with Marcia in Housekeeping, until it was enough which resulted in her getting fired. You have scenario's where people working as Teams and scorning these Haitian lady's in the cafeteria way before we switch to the cold cuts (ala before the recession). Then you have this one particular housekeeping attendant (very short lady and supposedly married) getting away with everything, from using her phone when she was told not to on the floor and even going as far as having sex with one of the Engineer/Maintenance guys (Young skinny gentlemen). And to this date they both still work at the Ritz Carlton and nothing has happen to either of these individuals ALL because of their association at the Ritz Carlton, even after this was reported. Therefore I am not surprised they would list these complaints as false. This is not the way a 5 Star Hotel should be managed, since I've been here at the Ritz Carlton there has been well over 50 complaints in regards to racism and unfair treatment. Feel free to email me for specific names and I will disclosed this information, because this unfair treatment has been going on for a while now and it has to be address.