Union workers in major U.S. cities are staging a three-day strike beginning Sunday, with more strikes likely if negotiations between unions and hotel companies remain deadlocked.
strike Unite Union members begin to feel the pinch during busy Labor Day weekend 25 hotels Boston, San Francisco, San Diego, San Jose, Baltimore, Seattle, and Hawaii.
The strike will last “one to three days”
Strikers protest outside famous hotels in Boston Fairmont Copley Plazathis Royal Hawaiian In Honolulu, The Westin St. Francis In San Francisco, Hilton Baltimore Inner Harbor.
“The strike in each city will last one to three days. Strikes have also been authorized and could begin at any time in New Haven, Oakland and Providence,” the union said in a media statement.
The union said the strike came after “months of unresolved negotiations” with hotel companies over raising wages, staffing levels and workloads. The union said hoteliers have not changed their staffing and customer service cuts during the pandemic, despite record high hotel room prices and industry total operating profits exceeding $100 billion in 2022.
The union claims that the number of staff per hotel room fell by 13% between 2019 and 2022.
UNITE HERE, which represents 300,000 workers in the hotel, gaming, restaurant, manufacturing, textile, distribution, laundry, transportation and airport industries in the U.S. and Canada, said about 10,000 workers are currently on strike.
In 2023, the union scored major contract victories after leading strikes at Los Angeles-area hotels and at casinos in Detroit.
Ironically, the strike falls on National Hotel Workers Day and Labor Day on September 1.
The union urged travelers not to cross strike lines or stay at hotels on strike. News reports indicate that some hotel managers and contract workers are filling in for the strikers, but guests are still experiencing check-in delays, inadequate room service and other inadequate services.
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