On the morning of Labor Day, over 10,000 hotel workers from 24 hotels spanning from Boston to Hawaii went on strike, causing significant disruptions for travelers during a peak travel period.
The affected hotels include major chains like Hilton, Hyatt, and Marriott, which collectively manage 23,000 rooms across various cities including San Francisco, Seattle, and Honolulu. Although the hotels remain open, the strike has led to reduced services due to the limited number of staff available.
The strike, led by the UNITE HERE union, is driven by demands for better pay and improved working conditions. A key issue is the reinstatement of daily room cleaning, a service many hotels cut during the pandemic.
Union leaders, including Gwen Mills, argue that despite the hotel industry’s record profits, workers are facing stagnant wages and deteriorating conditions. Mills criticized the industry for not restoring essential services and failing to offer wages that meet the cost of living.
Workers like Aissata Seck and Apple Ratanabunsrithang have shared personal stories highlighting the financial strain caused by inadequate pay and rising living costs.
Seck, who works at Hilton Park Plaza in Boston, revealed that her rent has increased substantially, forcing her to work a second job as an Uber driver. Ratanabunsrithang, a cook in San Francisco, emphasized the importance of health care benefits for long-term employees who perform physically demanding jobs.
The strike may expand to up to 65 hotels in 12 additional cities, including Baltimore and Providence. Despite the ongoing disruption, hotel chains such as Hilton and Hyatt remain committed to negotiating with the union while continuing to provide services during the strike. Hyatt has expressed disappointment with the strike decision but aims to reach fair agreements with its employees.
Previously, the UNITE HERE union conducted a major strike during the Fourth of July weekend last year, affecting hotels in Southern California. Although those strikes were brief, they were followed by a series of rolling strikes tied to significant events. The current strike is set to last three days, but the union has not ruled out the possibility of future rolling strikes, depending on how negotiations progress.
