More than 10,000 workers at 25 hotels across the United States went on strike over Labor Day weekend to demand higher pay, fairer workloads, and the reversal of COVID-era cuts. The UNITE HERE union, representing housekeepers and other hospitality workers, reported that 200 workers at the Hilton Baltimore Inner Harbor joined the strike. Nearly half of the striking workers are in Honolulu, including Briana Canencia, a food server at a Marriott property, who is fighting for higher wages and respect amid reduced hours and increased workloads. Canencia, who is Native Hawaiian, expressed concerns about being priced out of paradise despite working two jobs to support her family.
The strikes also took place in Boston, San Francisco, Seattle, San Diego, and San Jose, targeting Marriott, Hilton, and Hyatt hotels for one to three days. UNITE HERE stated that 15,000 workers have voted to authorize strikes, which may spread to other cities like New Haven, Oakland, and Providence. Union President Gwen Mills explained that the strikes are part of a longstanding effort to secure family-sustaining compensation for service workers, which are predominantly women and people of color. The workers are demanding better pay and benefits to support their families and ensure a dignified retirement.
Alma Navarro, a 60-year-old banquet server in San Jose, emphasized the need for change and joined the strike to advocate for improved health care coverage, a living wage, and higher employer contributions to her pension. Navarro expressed concerns about not being able to retire or seek medical care if needed due to inadequate coverage. Unionized housekeepers are also demanding the reinstatement of daily room cleaning and fair workloads at major hotel chains. While hotels argue that guests no longer request daily room cleaning, workers continue to face overwhelming workloads.
Hyatt and Hilton stated they have contingency plans to minimize the impact of the strikes, with Hyatt expressing disappointment that the strike occurred despite their willingness to negotiate. Marriott did not respond to requests for comment. UNITE HERE hopes to achieve similar success to recent negotiations in Southern California, where they secured significant wage hikes, increased pension contributions, and fair workload guarantees for workers at 34 hotels. The Culinary Workers Union in Nevada has also scored major wins for hotel and casino workers in Las Vegas, including a 32% pay increase, workload reductions, and improved job security in the face of technological advancements.
Overall, the strikes represent a unified effort by hospitality workers to secure fair compensation and working conditions in an industry that has been undervalued, particularly for women and people of color. These workers are pushing back against the pandemic-induced cuts to ensure that their families are supported and their futures are secure. Through collective action and negotiations, they aim to achieve contracts that reflect the essential contributions of service workers and provide them with the dignity and stability they deserve.
