More than 10,000 hotel workers at 25 U.S. hotels 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 the workers, stated that 200 workers at the Hilton Baltimore Inner Harbor were the most recent to walk off the job. The strikes targeted Marriott, Hilton, and Hyatt hotels in cities such as Honolulu, Boston, San Francisco, Seattle, San Diego, and San Jose.
The union president, Gwen Mills, emphasized that these strikes are part of a long-standing battle to secure fair compensation for service workers, particularly women and people of color. The housekeepers are advocating for the reinstatement of daily room cleaning at major hotel chains, citing unmanageable workloads and a decline in income due to the pandemic-related service cuts.
While hotels argue that guests are not requesting daily room cleaning and other services, UNITE HERE plans to continue striking to pressure companies to negotiate fair contracts. Michael D’Angelo, the head of labor relations for Hyatt in the Americas, expressed disappointment in the strikes but noted that the chain has contingency plans to minimize the impact on hotel operations.
The situation is ongoing, with the possibility of strikes spreading to other cities like New Haven, Oakland, and Providence. Messages seeking comment from Marriott and Hilton were left on Monday. The workers are determined to fight for their rights and push for better working conditions within the hospitality industry.
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