Additional strikes planned as hotel staff go back to work in several cities. Here's what travelers need to know.
Thousands of hotel workers across several U.S. cities went on strike over the weekend because of COVID-19 pandemic-era cuts made to the hospitality industry that they say resulted in lower wages and higher workloads.
Here’s what to know about what the workers are demanding — and whether it could affect upcoming travel.
What happened over Labor Day weekend
Since Sunday, over 10,000 hotel employees at major hotel chains across the U.S., including Hyatt, Hilton and Marriott, have walked off the job “after months of unresolved negotiations,” according to UNITE HERE, the union that represents them. The strikes have affected a total of 25,000 hotel rooms in 25 different hotels across nine cities.
The union says that many cuts made to staffing and guest services during the pandemic were never restored, resulting in lost jobs, lower wages and a demanding workload for workers who remained after restrictions were lifted and travel resumed.
Many hotel workers say they can’t make ends meet with their current hotel wages, forcing many of them to work additional jobs. For example, housekeepers at the Hilton Baltimore Inner Harbor hotel who went on strike Sept. 2 are currently paid $16.20 per hour. They want it raised to $20 an hour, the New York Times reported.
“During COVID, everyone suffered, but now the hotel industry is making record profits while workers and guests are left behind,” Gwen Mills, the international president of UNITE HERE, said in a statement. “Too many hotels still haven’t restored standard services that guests deserve, like automatic daily housekeeping and room service. … We won’t accept a ‘new normal’ where hotel companies profit by cutting their offerings to guests and abandoning their commitments to workers.”
What travelers should know
As of Tuesday, 9,376 workers remained on strike in seven cities, Boston; Greenwich, Conn.; Honolulu; Kauai, Hawaii; San Diego; San Francisco; and San Jose, Calif., UNITED HERE told Yahoo News in an email. Strikes ended in Baltimore and Seattle on Monday. The union added that each city’s strike will last up to three days, meaning Tuesday is the last day for strikes at the following hotels in these cities:
Boston
Fairmont Copley Plaza
Hampton Inn & Homewood Suites by Hilton Boston Seaport
Hilton Boston Logan Airport
Hilton Boston Park Plaza
Greenwich, Conn.
Hyatt Regency Greenwich
Honolulu
Hilton Hawaiian Village
Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach
The Royal Hawaiian (Marriott Luxury Collection)
Sheraton Princess Kaiulani (Marriott)
Sheraton Waikiki (Marriott)
Waikiki Beach Marriott
Westin Moana Surfrider (Marriott)
Kauai, Hawaii
Sheraton Kauai Resort (Marriott)
San Francisco
Grand Hyatt SFO
Grand Hyatt Union Square
Hilton Union Square
Westin St. Francis (Marriott)
Palace Hotel (Marriott Luxury Collection)
San Diego
Hilton San Diego Bayfront
San Jose, Calif.
DoubleTree by Hilton San Jose
Signia by Hilton San Jose
UNITE HERE has a list of tips for travelers who want to support the striking workers.
Meanwhile, the head of labor relations for Hyatt in the Americas, Michael D’Angelo, said the hotel group had “contingency plans in place to minimize impact on hotel operations related to strike activity.”
“Our colleagues are the heart of our business, and Hyatt has a long history of cooperation with the unions that represent our employees, including UNITE HERE,” D’Angelo told Travel + Leisure. “We are disappointed that UNITE HERE has chosen to strike while Hyatt remains willing to continue bargaining in good faith.”
Yahoo News did not receive immediate responses from Marriott or Hilton regarding requests for comment.
What’s next
While Tuesday is the last day of strikes in those seven remaining cities, additional strikes have been authorized to proceed in New Haven, Conn.; Oakland, Calif.; and Providence, R.I., according to the union.
“We went on strike because we were very far apart in bargaining, but we're hoping we'll see movement from the companies when we're back in negotiations later this week,” a UNITE HERE spokesperson told Yahoo News in an email.
