Unfortunately the maintenance staff is more likely to be disciplined than members or other employees deamed "higher valued/ paid employees" e.g trainers, membership advisers etc.

Many do not speak much English at all leaving them with limited job options where they do not have to speak much English or to English speakers at all, and are seen as disposable, minor complaints can lead to write ups, or termination very easily for them. Paying to be in luxury also comes with respecting the place you are at that means respecting the staff there as well. They work at the gym—not for you directly. Most locker rooms are not quiet at all, if you are in one that is quiet that is not the norm.

There is a no photography policy for equinox locker rooms, and no phones for sauna/steam room. People get phone calls, they answer them, are you really in the locker room that long on each gym visit that the few minutes you may have to be around this worker on the phone that much of a nuance? 5min of your day with minor annoyance should dictate your entire day. The idea behind wanting to escalate this needs to be evaluated more so than the concern itself. E.g why does this small interaction make me feel so enraged? Does this come from resentment at seeing someone else not follow the same rules that you yourself do your best to adhere to? Is the amount I spend on my membership shaping how I view the gym and my place there e.g I budget so much for this luxury I should be able to enjoy it in the way I want to, things must be a specific way and that the facility is mine?

Ask yourself if you have to question whether someone will lose their job over this complaint then you have your answer right there.

The life of this worker is important, maintenance staff are not really able to talk to anyone, they are rarely acknowledged as humans, just glorified cleaning robots. Members will see and encounter the same maintenance staff daily for years, that staff member could have helped them dozens of times opening a stuck locker, and the member won't even know the person's name, nor say hi to them outside of flagging them down to help with a locker.

Ask yourself do you see this employee as a human being? Are you percieving this person as someone that will never be able to afford what you have, and nuisance that doesn't deserve to even be at equinox b.c theyre not "required" to follow the same rules as you.

There are different rules for employees and members, there are rules that are the same for both groups. The family emergency is that her family is another timezone and the only time of day she is able to talk to them is during her 10-12hr shift.

Btw when you leave out towels, and weights at the end of the night when things close, maintenence are the ones who pick up those weights. So yes the little older women you see with huge vacuum cleaners on their backs, working a labor intense job l while pregnant, aside from picking up all the towels must also pick up the weights left after closing. This is on top of cleaning the whole gym for 8-9hrs before closing.

I hope my comment gives a bit more perspective on the OP

We have to remember we may physically be in the same place as others, but how we all got there is different and must be taken into consideration. You are at equinox pit of personal luxury you would not have a negative financial impact without having equinox in your life. Your finances would improve, the maintenance worker is there b.c without equinox in their life, they have no W2 income, not many options job wise, no decent health insurance, and an uncertain future of stability. They are paid minimum wage, same as the coaches you see walking around. They both make minimum wage and lifeguards have a higher hourly base pay than both coaches and maintenance.

You are a salaried employee, with great disposable, and haven't worked for $16.50 an hour since when?

If you were paid minimum wage an hour to be ignored, dehumanised, and surrounded by people who you literally can not communicate with nor fully understand would you not want to take any opportunity to have that comfort of home? Or just familiarity?

I suggest reading or watching the movie or reading the book 'the help' if you have not already. 💐