by Lacey Pfalz
Last updated: 9:05 AM ET, Thu August 22, 2024
Hotel contracts with hospitality union UNITE HERE are ending this month, and if hotel workers don’t receive the better benefits and higher wages they’re asking for, an estimated 10,000+ workers could go on strike across the country in what could be the biggest hotel strike in American history.
UNITE HERE voted “overwhelmingly” in favor of authorizing strikes in Baltimore, Boston, Honolulu, Greenwich, New Haven, Providence and San Francisco. Strike voting is also to be held in Oakland, San Diego, San Jose and Seattle to determine if they should strike, too.
Impacted hotels range from Hilton and Hyatt properties to Marriott and Omni hotels.
“This is the first time in history that hotel workers in so many cities have voted to authorize strikes that could hit the hotel industry all at the same time,” said Gwen Mills, International President of UNITE HERE.
“Hotel workers are preparing for huge, historic potential strikes because we don’t want hotels to become the next airline industry – where guests pay more and get less while workers are left behind,” Mills continued. “The hotel industry is making massive profits by throwing workers under the bus – with wages that aren’t enough to cover the cost of living and staffing cuts that have made hotel jobs more painful than ever. Workers are fed up with the hotels, and we’re ready to make them pay.”
According to the labor union, it won record contracts after rolling strikes at Los Angeles-area hotels and during a 47-day strike at Detroit casinos, and it’s willing to use a nationwide strike as a last resort to get higher wages, fair staffing and workloads, and the reversal of COVID-era cuts.
Hotels have been struggling to return to full staffing levels since the end of the pandemic. Historically, hotel workers are receiving record-high wages and better benefits—however, that doesn’t mean hotels have been paying their workers wages that are keeping up with higher living costs.
The union reported that U.S. hotel staffing per occupied room was 13 percent less than in 2019, even though hotel corporations are seeing record revenue and development.
If the strike does occur, how will it affect travelers? USA TODAY suggests that while these hotels will remain open, normal operations will be impacted, such as limited or no housekeeping services or limited food and beverage service. Additionally, striking hospitality workers may picket outside the hotels where they are employed.
The union asks travelers to cancel their reservations at their hotel if there is a strike and to request a refund through the hotel.
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