Hotel Workers in Multiple U.S. Cities Launch Strikes Amid Contract Disputes
On Sunday, thousands of hotel workers across the United States began a strike, marking the start of a series of planned labor actions that could disrupt hotel services and guest experiences in the coming weeks.
The workers, represented by the UNITE HERE union, walked off the job during the busy Labor Day weekend as part of ongoing contract negotiations with major hotel companies. The union represents employees at Hilton, Hyatt, and Marriott properties in 24 cities, including Boston, San Francisco, Honolulu, and Seattle.
Several high-profile hotels are affected by these strikes, such as the Fairmont Copley Plaza and Hilton Boston Park Plaza in Boston, The Royal Hawaiian and Sheraton Waikiki in Honolulu, and the Grand Hyatt Union Square and Hilton Union Square in San Francisco.
According to UNITE HERE, the strikes will typically last between two and three days, but there are warnings that additional cities, such as Baltimore, Oakland, and Providence, could see strikes begin "at any time." The union's website provides a comprehensive list of all impacted properties.
UNITE HERE's demands focus on better wages and reversing the reductions made during the COVID-19 pandemic. The union argues that despite record-high room rates and gross operating profits exceeding $100 billion, hotels are still understaffed, and workers are being forced to speed up their work instead of bringing in more staff.
"Many hotels have yet to bring back standard services that guests expect, such as automatic daily housekeeping and room service. Meanwhile, workers are struggling to earn enough to support their families," stated Gwen Mills, President of UNITE HERE International.
As of now, Hilton, Marriott, and Hyatt have not provided any comments in response to requests from the media.
This latest round of strikes follows a similar action in July 2023 when UNITE HERE represented hotel workers in Los Angeles, successfully securing contracts at several locations during negotiations.
