by Mia Taylor
Last updated: 2:25 PM ET, Fri October 18, 2024
More hotel workers have announced that they’re joining the labor strike that’s taking place across the country.
With the hotel workers strike now entering its second month, 120 additional workers from a San Francisco hotel have joined the picket line, according to a press release from Unite Here, the union that represents the workers.
Nearly 5,200 Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott, and Omni hotel workers are on strike across the United States, according to the union, and more strikes could begin soon.
Strike activity has impacted the hotel industry for about six weeks. According to the union, the labor walk out has disrupted hotel operations, causing guest complaints and requests for refunds.
The strike locations in San Francisco now also include the Marriott Union Square, where workers walked off the job yesterday, per Unite Now.
The strikes are expected to continue until the contract disputes have been resolved, Unite Now said. The labor walk-out was triggered by a variety of issues including demands for higher wages, staffing and workload concerns, and worker demands for the reversal of COVID-era cutbacks.
Workers taking part in the labor action include housekeepers, front desk agents, cooks, dishwashers, servers, bartenders, bellhops, doormen, and more.
“Hotel workers are tired of waiting for affordable health care, good raises, and fair workloads,” Lizzy Tapia, president of UNITE HERE Local 2, said in a statement. “Almost a month after our strike began, even more workers are walking off the job because they want to be able to support their families. Hotel workers are ready to do whatever it takes until the hotels decide to give us what our families need.”
The union says it has called on hotels to notify guests if they’re booked at a hotel where workers are on strike. According to the union, guests have reported that they were not notified of picket lines or service disruptions, even at hotels where strikes have been occurring for weeks.
Spokespeople for major brands such as Hilton and Hyatt had previously told The Points Guy that there are contingency plans in place to minimize disruptions during a strike.
Picket lines run outside impacted hotels for up to 24 hours a day. The union is asking travelers not to eat, meet, or sleep at any hotel that’s on strike.
The strike began on Labor Day weekend when 10,000 hotel workers walked off the job. Most of the initial strikes were limited duration strikes that ended after two or three days. More strikes followed in the subsequent weeks.
Hotel workers in Greenwich and New Haven, Connecticut, Providence, Rhode Island, and San Diego, California recently ratified new union contracts that included wage increases and affordable health care.
However, strike issues remain unresolved in most cities, said the union. “Strikes have been authorized and could begin soon in Boston, Honolulu, Kauai, Oakland, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, San Mateo County, and Seattle,” said the union.
For those who are traveling and staying at a hotel in the near future, the union is maintaining a list on its website of hotels that continue to be impacted by a strike action, which can be found here.
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