Hyatt Turns Heat Lamps on Above Picketers

Things got extra heated during an employee strike outside a Hyatt hotel in Chicago yesterday, when a manager turned on 10 heat lamps that were hanging above picketers—and left them on for nearly an hour, reports the Chicago Tribune. "This is one of the hottest days of the summer," said a Park Hyatt bellman. "I work at that door every single day and only in winter time do those need to be turned on. It's ridiculous." Hyatt apologized this morning and says the act was "not in line" with the company's values.

"Hyatt regrets the events that occurred at the Park Hyatt Chicago and apologizes to everyone who was impacted by them," reads a company statement. "We can assure you that this was an isolated incident and such a thing will not happen again." The strike was part of a string of day-long protests in 10 cities nationwide over working conditions for housekeepers at the hotel chain. Hyatt says when employees inside learned that the heat lamps had been turned on, they immediately shut them off and handed out water. (More Hyatt stories.)