First Center City Hotel Strikes in Philadelphia Conclude as Sheraton and Hampton Hotel Workers Finish 4-Day Work Stoppage
Citywide Fight Continues as Wyndham Hotel Workers Hold Strike Authorization Vote
Workers at the Sheraton Philadelphia Downtown and Hampton Inn Center City concluded a four-day strike early Thursday morning. It was the first strike in the history of either hotel and the first strike of UNITE HERE Local 274’s Center City hotel contract campaign, which involves eight hotels. The union looks forward to proposals from management that meet the workers’ demands for family sustaining wages and benefits, humane staffing and workload levels and a contract term that aligns with other U.S. union hotel workers. The union is fighting for a 4-year deal retroactive to the contract’s expiration last year which will terminate January 31, 2028; the companies are seeking longer agreements. Negotiations are ongoing.
Meanwhile, at 4th and Arch, workers at the Wyndham Historic District are currently voting on whether to authorize a strike. Results of the authorization vote are expected at 5 PM.
“These workers have sent a powerful message that they are willing to stand up and fight for themselves and their families,” said Rosslyn Wuchinich, President of UNITE HERE Local 274. “This is just the beginning. Center City hotel workers know what they are worth and they will not stop fighting until they get it. The workers at the Sheraton and the Hampton led the way and are inspiring other hotel workers to stand up and fight. We need more workers striking and disrupting business as usual to stop the billionaire takeover of our country.”
The strikes are a preview of what the city might look like next year if hotel workers are not under contract for the FIFA World Cup, MLB All-Star Game, the 2026 PGA Championship, and Semisesquicentennial celebration. Union members are currently working without a contract at eight Center City hotels. Visitors to Philadelphia are encourage to check PhillyTravelAlert.org before they check in.
“I’m so proud of myself and my coworkers for shutting down this hotel for the first time in its history,” said Wanda White, a 15-year room attendant at the Sheraton Downtown. “The bosses were in their making beds and scrubbing toilets. Maybe now they know how hard we work on a daily basis to make these hotels run.”
“I’m fighting for respect, benefits and a livable wage to take care of myself and my kids,” said Tanaya Nibblins, a 4-year room attendant at the Hampton Inn Center City. “The Hampton Inn is the only union hotel in Center City without union healthcare and we’re owned by Blackstone, the largest private equity fund in the world. It’s unacceptable.” Blackstone, whose real estate investment trust owns the Hampton Inn, has more than $1 trillion in assets under management.
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UNITE HERE Philly Local 274 is the union that welcomes you to Philadelphia, representing 4,000 private sector hotel and food service workers who work at the stadiums, airports, and hotels throughout the Philadelphia region. We serve the food, hold the door, carry the bags, clean the rooms, and wash the laundry. We’re fighting to end poverty-creating jobs and to ensure that Black, Brown, and immigrant workers aren’t left out of Philadelphia’s economy.