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Thousands of US hotel workers strike as contract talks stall
This comes as 40,000 Unite Here hotel workers across 20 cities face expiring contracts this year
Hotel workers protest in Los Angeles, California, US, on October 25, 2023. — Reuters File
Thousands of US hotel workers in several cities are on a multi-day strike after contract talks with hotel operators Marriott International , Hilton Worldwide, and Hyatt Hotels reached an impasse, the Unite Here union said on Sunday.
Unite Here, which represents workers in hotels, casinos, and airports across the United States and Canada, said more than 4,000 workers are on strike in San Francisco and San Jose in California, as well as Boston, Seattle, and Greenwich, Connecticut, with hotel workers from additional cities ready to join the walkout as the Labour Day holiday weekend continues.
"Strikes have also been authorised and could begin at any time" in Baltimore, Honolulu, Kauai, New Haven, Oakland, Providence and San Diego, the union said in a statement as hotel workers and operators struggle to agree on wages and on reversing pandemic-era job cuts.
This Labour Day weekend, thousands of hotel workers will be on strike as the industry faces an influx of travellers, with AAA booking data showing a nine per cent increase in domestic travel compared to last year.
Hyatt said in a statement it is disappointed by the unions' decision to strike. "We look forward to continuing to negotiate fair contracts and recognize the contributions of Hyatt employees," Michael D'Angelo, head of labor relations at Hyatt said.
Hyatt said it has contingency plans in place to minimise the impact on hotel operations related to potential strike activity.
Marriott and Hilton did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
The strike comes as 40,000 Unite Here hotel workers across 20 cities face expiring contracts this year. About 15,000 of those workers have authorised strikes in 12 markets. Negotiations for new four-year contracts have been taking place since May.
"We won't accept a 'new normal' where hotel companies profit by cutting their offerings to guests and abandoning their commitments to workers," Unite Here President Gwen Mills said, demanding a better deal.
The union has urged travellers to cancel their hotel stays if the workers are on strike and demand penalty-free refunds.
Unite Here workers in 2023 won record contracts in Los Angeles following rolling strikes, and in Detroit after a 47-day strike.
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