Around 10,000 hotel workers across the United States have launched a multi-day strike starting Sunday, following the breakdown of contract negotiations with major hotel chains including Marriott International, Hilton Worldwide, and Hyatt Hotels. The strike, organized by the Unite Here union, is impacting 24 hotels in prominent travel destinations such as San Francisco, San Diego, Honolulu, Boston, Seattle, and Greenwich, Connecticut. The action is set against the backdrop of a 9% increase in domestic travel during the Labor Day weekend, as reported by AAA booking data.
Unite Here, which represents workers in hotels, casinos, and airports across the U.S. and Canada, has indicated that strikes could soon expand to additional cities, including Baltimore, New Haven, Oakland, and Providence. The union cites ongoing disputes over wages and the reversal of pandemic-era job cuts as key issues.
According to the union, hotel staff are often required to manage increased workloads with fewer workers, leading to heightened stress and a decline in service quality. “Since COVID, they’re expecting us to give five-star service with three-star staff,” said a staff member from Marriott’s Palace Hotel in San Francisco.
In specific wage disputes, Baltimore hotel housekeepers are advocating for an increase from $16.20 to $20 per hour. In Boston, where housekeepers currently earn $28 per hour, the union is pushing for a $10 per hour raise over the next four years.
Both Hilton and Hyatt have expressed their commitment to continuing negotiations with the union. Hyatt has prepared contingency plans to mitigate potential disruptions, according to Michael D’Angelo, head of labor relations at the hotel chain. Marriott did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
This strike coincides with the expiration of contracts for 40,000 Unite Here hotel workers across 20 cities this year. Negotiations for new four-year contracts, which began in May, have resulted in about 15,000 workers authorizing strikes in 12 markets. Unite Here President Gwen Mills criticized the current state of negotiations, stating, “We won’t accept a ‘new normal’ where hotel companies profit by cutting their offerings to guests and abandoning their commitments to workers.”
The union has urged travelers to consider canceling their hotel reservations during the strike and to seek penalty-free refunds. In 2023, Unite Here secured record contracts for hotel workers in Los Angeles and Detroit following extensive strike actions.
