Thousands of hotel workers across the United States began a strike on Sunday, demanding better wages and working conditions. This industrial action, which could escalate according to union warnings, is expected to disrupt travel plans for many people over the Labor Day weekend.
More than 10,000 employees walked out from hotels in cities including Boston, Seattle, Honolulu, Kauai, Greenwich, Connecticut, as well as San Francisco, San Diego, and San Jose in California, following a breakdown in contract negotiations with hotel owners.
The Unite Here union, which represents hospitality workers in hotels, casinos, and airports throughout the US and Canada, stated that workers in other cities were prepared to join the strike as well.
“Strikes have been authorized in additional cities and could commence at any moment,” the union said in a statement, indicating that hotels in Baltimore, Providence, Oakland, and New Haven might soon be affected.
The workers are calling for higher wages and the reversal of job cuts made during the pandemic, which union officials say have increased the workload on remaining staff and led to “painful” working conditions.
“The hotel industry has bounced back from the pandemic, with room rates reaching all-time highs,” Gwen Mills, international president of Unite Here, said in a statement. “Yet, hotel workers cannot afford to live in the cities where they work. Too many of them need to take on two or even three jobs just to get by.”
“We refuse to accept a ‘new normal’ where hotel companies increase their profits by reducing guest services and neglecting their responsibilities to workers.”
As of Sunday morning, the strike was impacting 24 hotels across eight cities, according to the union.
The walkout coincides with what was predicted to be the busiest Labor Day weekend on record, based on forecasts from the Transportation Security Administration.
Unite Here, which represents over 275,000 members, has accused the hotel industry of using the staffing cuts introduced during the Covid-19 lockdowns to make permanent reductions in workforce and guest services.
The union has encouraged guests staying at affected hotels to cancel their reservations and seek refunds.
The three-day strike follows several months of negotiations between the workers and major hotel chains, including Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott, and Omni.
Hyatt expressed disappointment over the decision to strike. “We remain committed to negotiating fair contracts and acknowledging the valuable contributions of Hyatt employees,” said Michael D’Angelo, head of labor relations at the company.
