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More than 10,000 hotel workers from UNITE HERE, a trade union representing hotel, transport and various other industries, are on strike for multiple days.
a Press release from UNITE HERE Before the strike began, workers in 12 U.S. cities announced they had “authorized strike action at Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott and Omni hotel properties currently mired in unresolved contract negotiations.”
Workers in nine of the 12 cities are on strike, with strikes starting Sunday in all but one. According to a UNITE HERE tracker updated Monday morning, 5,000 UNITE HERE members are on strike in Honolulu, about 2,100 in San Francisco and more than 900 in Boston.
“Without our union predecessors standing up and fighting, we would never have a day to rest, relax, and enjoy the fruits of our labor movement. But the fight is not over,” UNITE HERE International President Gwen Mills said in a statement. “This year, hotel workers across the country are celebrating Labor Day by fighting for pay raises, fair hours, and an end to service and staff cuts made during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
After the US saw massive job losses during the pandemic, it took the leisure and hospitality industry much longer to surpass February 2020 employment than the overall US labor market, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Job growth Hiring has been fairly sluggish in the leisure and hospitality industry, with employment declining slightly in January and April. Still, the overall labor market is cooling and it may be harder to find work than it was a few years ago.
Mills said workers were striking because “the hotel industry is out of track”.
“Everyone has suffered during the pandemic, but right now the hotel industry is making record profits while employees and guests are left behind,” Mills said. “Too many hotels have yet to restore the standard services that guests should expect, like automated housekeeping and room service.”
Mills pointed out how hospitality workers’ incomes impact their spending and households.
“Workers’ incomes are not enough to support their families,” Mills said. “Many cannot afford to live in the cities that host them, and the backbreaking work is destroying their health. A ‘new normal’ in which hotel companies make profits by cutting services to guests and abandoning promises to employees is unacceptable.”
The striking workers are employees of the Fairmont Copley Plaza in Boston and various Hyatt, Marriott and Hilton hotels, according to the union’s hotel tracking system. This includes employees at seven hotels in Honolulu, four hotels in Boston and five hotels in San Francisco. In all, employees work at 25 hotels.
“Our coworkers are at the heart of our business and Hyatt has a long history of working with the labor unions that represent them, including UNITE HERE,” Michael D’Angelo, Hyatt’s Americas labor relations director, said in a statement. “Hyatt intends to continue negotiating in good faith and is disappointed that UNITE HERE has chosen to strike.”
“We have a track record of offering competitive wages and benefits in each of our markets, including low- or no-cost comprehensive health insurance and retirement savings,” D’Angelo added. “We have offered competitive wages, health insurance and retirement benefits at the hotels currently on strike. Employee benefits and wages will remain unchanged while we negotiate a new contract. We remain committed to negotiating a fair contract and recognizing the contributions of Hyatt employees.”
According to the UNITE HERE tracking system, the striking workers are based at four Hyatt locations.
“Hyatt Hotels has contingency plans in place to minimize any impacts to hotel operations related to strike activity,” D’Angelo said.
Workers at several Hilton locations, including one in San Diego, are on strike.
“Hilton is committed to maintaining a cooperative and productive relationship with the union that represents some of our team members and remains committed to negotiating in good faith to reach a fair and reasonable agreement that benefits both our valued team members and our hotels,” a Hilton spokesperson said. “We also remain committed to providing our guests with our signature hospitality, and our hotels have contingency plans in place to ensure they can continue to operate as smoothly as possible.”
The strike dates are from September 1 to September 3, but in Seattle and San Diego, workers will be on strike from September 1 to September 2, and in Baltimore, workers began striking on Monday. In Baltimore, 200 members of UNITE HERE working at the Hilton Baltimore Inner Harbor are on strike.
“Strikes have also been authorized in New Haven, Oakland and Providence and could begin at any time.” September 2nd press release from UNITE HERE He said.
Marriott and the Fairmont Copley Plaza did not immediately respond to Business Insider’s requests for comment.