NEW YORK, July 24 (Reuters) – About 13,500 unionized hotel workers in four U.S. cities are preparing for a Hotel worker strike. They will vote on strike authorization next month. Contract talks with Marriott International, Hilton Worldwide Holdings, and Hyatt Hotels Corp have stalled, according to the union. #HotelWorkerStrike
UNITE HERE, a union representing workers in hotels, casinos, and airports across the U.S. and Canada, announced the votes will begin in August. The voting will take place in Boston, San Francisco, Honolulu, and Providence, Rhode Island. Elena Duran, a server at Marriott’s Palace Hotel in San Francisco, stated, “We are getting ready. Seeing the proposals from the hotels, people are not happy.”
Workers at 125 hotels in four cities seek significant pay raises in new contracts to replace soon-expiring agreements.
Workers are seeking better healthcare and pension plans. They also want hotel operators to reverse pandemic-era cuts, such as daily room cleaning.
“Frankly, we were insulted with what they came to the table with,” said Carlos Aramayo, president of UNITE HERE Local 26 in Boston. “We are very, very far apart from an agreement.”
A further 26,500 hospitality workers in 16 U.S. cities represented by Unite Here are also negotiating new contracts.
“We are disappointed that several UNITE HERE locals have chosen to take strike votes,” a spokesperson from Hyatt said.
The hotel operator said it has contingency plans in place in the event of a strike so that its hotel operations are not affected. #HotelWorkerStrike
Hilton said it maintains a cooperative and productive relationship with the union.
Consequently, the upcoming votes are crucial. If the Hotel worker strike is authorized, it could disrupt operations across multiple cities. Therefore, both sides need to address the issues promptly to avoid major disruptions.
