US: Nationwide hotel workers strike as negotiations falter

Approximately 10,000 hotel employees across the United States initiated a strike on Sunday, impacting several major cities, as contract negotiations with leading hotel chains like Marriott International, Hilton Worldwide, and Hyatt Hotels reached an impasse. The labor action, orchestrated by the Unite Here union, which represents workers in the hospitality and transportation sectors in both the U.S. and Canada, saw picket lines formed at 24 hotels in key tourist destinations including San Francisco, San Diego, Honolulu, Boston, Seattle, and Greenwich, Connecticut. The union has also indicated readiness to expand the strike to other cities during the ongoing Labor Day weekend.

This strike coincides with a 9% rise in domestic travel over the Labor Day weekend, as reported by AAA. This surge in travel could be further disrupted as Unite Here has signaled that strikes could start imminently in additional cities like Baltimore, New Haven, Oakland, and Providence, if agreements on wage increases and the restoration of pandemic-era job cuts fail to materialize.

According to the union, hotel workers are increasingly overburdened, often performing the work meant for more personnel, which compromises service quality under the pressure to prioritize speed. In response to the unfolding events, Hyatt and Hilton have expressed their commitment to reaching equitable agreements. Hyatt’s Michael D’Angelo, head of labor relations, confirmed that the chain has developed contingency plans to mitigate the impact of the strike on hotel operations.

Marriott, however, has yet to issue a public response regarding the strike.

As negotiations for new four-year contracts that started in May continue to stall, the situation remains tense. This year, contracts for 40,000 Unite Here hotel workers in 20 cities are due to expire, with about 15,000 workers in 12 markets having already authorized strikes. Unite Here President Gwen Mills criticized the hotel companies for their profitability strategies at the expense of worker welfare and service quality. “We refuse to accept a ‘new normal’ where hotel companies prosper by diminishing their services and neglecting their workforce,” Mills stated.

The union is also urging travelers to reconsider their stays at affected hotels, advocating for cancellations and penalty-free refunds to support the striking workers. This labor dispute follows significant victories for Unite Here workers who secured landmark contracts in Los Angeles after rolling strikes and in Detroit following a 47-day strike in 2023.

The article US: Nationwide hotel workers strike as negotiations falter first appeared in TravelDailyNews International.