New York City Hotel Employees Could Get Panic Buttons

New York City hotel workers would get "panic buttons" under a provision in a seven-year contract proposed by the New York Hotel Trades Council, according to press reports. The technology would allow hotel employees who enter guest rooms to summon help immediately in case of an emergency. The measure comes in the wake of the high-profile scandal involving former International Monetary Fund chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn, who was accused of sexually assaulting a maid at the Sofitel New York last May (he claimed the encounter was consensual and was subsequently acquitted). According to the provision, properties would have a year to find a system that works best for their employees after the new contract goes into effect July 1. A vote on the contract is set for Monday.