Dozens of workers at a Monterey County hotel have been placed on furlough without pay because of a coronavirus quarantine, according to a report from KSBW-TV.
The Asilomar Hotel and Conference Grounds in Pacific Grove is being used to quarantine 12-13 passengers evacuated from the Grand Princess cruise ship that was docked in Oakland, and that has forced at least 107 employees from their jobs without pay, according to the workers' union, KSBW reported.
Union spokesman Hector Azpilcueta told the TV station that Unite Local 483 employees who were working at the State Park were told to leave their jobs Tuesday and were not given a date to return.
Cities were given mere hours notice about such takeovers from the California Office of Emergency Services, KSBW reported.
California State Parks uses national vendor Aramark to run operations at Asilomar. Azpilcueta said despite the union's demands, neither the state nor Aramark has agreed to pay the wages of furloughed employees.
"It's going to be very difficult to pay their rents and make ends meet," Azpilcueta told KSBW.
Azpilcueta said he working with his union contacts in Sacramento to see if they can help get the state and Aramark to compensate workers. Monterey Peninsula Chamber of Commerce CEO Frank Geisler also is working with chamber members to provide some small relief in the form of gift cards for the employees, KSBW reported.
