Over 10,000 hotel workers from 24 hotels, stretching from Boston to the West Coast and all the way to Hawaii, went on strike early Sunday morning. The strike comes at the start of a busy Labor Day weekend, causing major travel headaches.
Though the hotels are still open, guests are facing a skeleton staff and reduced services. The strike, led by UNITE HERE, is not just about better wages but also better working conditions. Workers are pushing for the return of daily room cleaning, a service many hotels cut back on during the pandemic.
Gwen Mills, International President of UNITE HERE, expressed frustration in a statement: “The hotel industry is making record profits, but workers and guests are left behind. Hotels haven’t restored the services guests deserve, and workers aren’t earning enough to support their families.”
Aissata Seck, a banquet food server at Hilton Park Plaza in Boston for 18 years, shared her struggles. Her rent has skyrocketed from $1,900 to $2,900 over the past five years, leaving her to work as an Uber driver to make ends meet.
Apple Ratanabunsrithang, a cook at Hilton Union Square in San Francisco, said she needs to work two jobs to survive. She emphasized the importance of health care for long-term employees, noting that physical work at hotels makes health benefits crucial.
Mills highlighted that the reduction in daily room cleaning has led to nearly 40% fewer housekeeping jobs and increased workloads for cleaning staff, who now handle rooms that haven’t been cleaned for days.
The strike affects major hotel chains, including Hilton, Hyatt, and Marriott. These hotels, with a combined 23,000 rooms in cities like Boston, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Honolulu, and Kauai, are facing significant disruptions.
The union has hinted at possibly expanding the strike to up to 65 hotels in 12 cities, including Baltimore, Oakland, Providence, and New Haven. Both Hilton and Hyatt have expressed their commitment to negotiating with the union while continuing to serve guests during the strike.
Hyatt's Michael D’Angelo expressed disappointment in the strike decision but remains hopeful for a fair resolution. Last year, the same union staged a high-profile strike during the Fourth of July holiday in Southern California, which lasted several days and involved rolling strikes tied to major events.
