More than 13,000 hotel workers in four cities to vote on strike

AROUND 13,500 PARTICIPATING hotel workers in Boston, Honolulu, Providence and San Francisco plan to hold strike votes on August 6 on whether to authorize strikes at hotels franchised by Hilton Hotels Corp., Hyatt Hotels Corp., Marriott International and Omni Hotels & Resorts as their contracts near the end of their contracts. Workers at 125 hotels, represented by UNITE HERE, are demanding higher wages, fair staffing levels and workloads, and a reversal of COVID-era staffing cuts.

The UNITE HERE union represents workers in hotels, casinos and airports in the US and Canada.

“The momentum for strikes is growing this year as workers are at a breaking point while the hotel industry is making record profits,” said Gwen Mills, UNITE HERE’s international president. “Hotel companies took advantage of COVID to make deep cuts to staff and guest services, and now workers say their jobs are more painful than ever. Meanwhile, wages aren’t enough to cover the cost of living, and many workers are working two or even three jobs.”

“This is a fight about the future of the industry, for both guests and employees, and our members are telling hotels they are ready to strike for what their families need,” he said.

According to the union, strikes can begin at any time after contracts expire if workers give their consent. In some cities, contracts have already expired, while others will expire in the coming weeks.

The union said the strike vote announcements follow protests in mid-July in 10 cities as contract negotiations continue. More than 40,000 UNITE HERE hotel workers have contracts up for renegotiation this year in more than 20 cities across the U.S. and Canada, with more strike votes possible.

‘Respect our work’

The U.S. hotel industry’s gross operating profit was 26.63 percent higher in 2022 than in 2019, but hotel workers report heavy workloads, reduced hours and wages that fail to cover the cost of living, the union said. Many hotels across the country have maintained COVID-era service cuts, including understaffing, ending automated daily housekeeping and reducing food and beverage options. In the U.S., hotel workers per occupied room fell 13 percent from 2019 to 2022 and 32 percent from 1995 to 2022.

Workers are calling on the hotel industry to “Respect Our Work” and “Respect Our Guests” by increasing wages, reversing staff cuts that have led to challenging working conditions, and ensuring protection of guest services and amenities, the statement said.

“I sleep in pain, I wake up in pain, I go to work in pain,” said Jianci Liang, a housekeeper at the Hilton Park Plaza in Boston for seven years. “Since we started working again after COVID, there are about 20 fewer maids on the regular schedule. Without the right staffing, my job is getting harder. When the rooms are sold out, we have to take over the work of the missing persons. I have no choice but to work because it’s hard to save money or set aside funds for an emergency,” she said.

“I’m voting to strike because by the time I get home from work, I’m so exhausted from taking care of guests all day that I’m too exhausted to take care of my own family,” said Wendy Perez, a front desk clerk at the Waikiki Beach Marriott for 36 years. “We need a staff that will provide a fair workload and quality service.”

Meanwhile, UNITE HERE members secured record deals after hotel strikes in Los Angeles last year.

“We are disappointed that several UNITE HERE chapters have chosen to vote to strike,” a Hyatt spokesperson told Reuters. Hyatt has contingency plans in place to ensure its hotel operations are not affected by a strike, while Hilton said it has a cooperative and productive relationship with the union, the Reuters report said.

Meanwhile, the National Labor Relations Board recently withdrew its appeal of a Texas judge’s ruling that blocked its joint employer rule, which would have expanded shared responsibility for workers between franchisors and franchisees. Trade associations including AAHOA and AHLA applauded the NLRB’s decision to withdraw its appeal, arguing that the rule “was designed to force franchisors to negotiate with workers they don’t actually employ in order to increase unionization.”