More Hotel Strikes Begin as Labor Disputes Continue Over Raises, Fair Workloads, and Reversing Covid-Era Cuts
Hilton, Marriott, and Omni Hotel Workers Strike in Boston & San Diego; More Cities Could Announce Strikes Soon
Boston, Mass. – Hundreds more hotel workers have walked off the job as another wave of strikes hit the U.S. hotel industry. Nearly 2,000 hotel workers are now on strike at Hilton, Marriott, and Omni hotels in Boston and San Diego, including the largest hotel in Boston and the oldest continuously operating hotel in the country. More strikes could begin soon in other cities.
Workers are calling for higher wages, fair staffing and workloads, and the reversal of COVID-era cuts. They are members of the UNITE HERE union, and they include housekeepers, front desk agents, cooks, dishwashers, servers, bartenders, bellhops, doormen, and more.
After months of contract negotiations, over 10,000 hotel workers across the U.S. went on strike on Labor Day weekend, most on limited duration strikes that ended after two or three days. A second wave of strikes followed the next week. Strike issues in all the cities remain unresolved, and negotiations are ongoing. Strikes have been authorized and could begin at any time in Baltimore, Greenwich, Honolulu, Kauai, New Haven, Oakland, Providence, Sacramento, San Francisco, San Jose, and Seattle.
The strikes in Boston at the Omni Parker House, Omni Boston Seaport, Renaissance Boston Seaport (Marriott), and Westin Boston Seaport (Aimbridge) began today and will last three days. The strike in San Diego at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront began on Sept. 1 and will continue until workers have won their contract.
The union urges guests not to eat, sleep, or meet at any hotel that is on strike. Hotels may suspend services while trying to operate with skeleton staffing, and picket lines will run outside struck hotels for up to 24 hours a day. During the Labor Day strikes, guests experienced disruptions including unavailable daily housekeeping, towels and linens piled up in hallways, piles of trash visible outside, closed bars and restaurants, and reduced pool hours. Guests are encouraged to consult the union’s travel guide and use its Labor Dispute Map at FairHotel.org, where they can search hotels by name or city to learn whether a hotel is on strike and find alternatives.
“I work full-time here, and sometimes I do overtime. But I still had to get a second job so that I can pay my mortgage and other monthly bills,” said Kaba Kamara, a housekeeping attendant at the Omni Boston Seaport Hotel. “My schedule is crazy, and I don’t have enough time to spend with my family, with my 10-year-old daughter. I believe that one job should be enough.”
“There are many reasons for me to be on this strike. The main one is because I want to be able to live in San Diego again. This would help me not lose 6 hours a day at the border just to get to work in time,” said Amir Zuniga, a housekeeping attendant at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront who used to live in San Diego and now lives across the border in Tijuana, Mexico. “A wage increase would help me get back to San Diego and help me with my future.”
Hotel room rates are at record highs, and the U.S. hotel industry made over $100 billion in gross operating profit in 2022. But hotel workers report that their wages aren’t enough to support their families, and many have to work multiple jobs to make ends meet.
Meanwhile, staffing per occupied room was down 13% from 2019 to 2022 as many hotels maintained COVID-era cuts, causing some workers to lose jobs and income while increased workloads cause pain and stress for others. The union says that many hotels took advantage of the pandemic to cut staffing and guest services like automatic daily housekeeping and room service.
“Hotel workers are going to keep up the fight until hotels respect us and our guests,” said Gwen Mills, International President of UNITE HERE. “Hotels are making record profits – while guests get less and workers are left behind. Many hotel employees can no longer afford to live in the cities where they welcome travelers, and hotels have cut staffing and services that guests love and expect. We urge travelers not to eat, meet, or sleep at any hotel that’s on strike.”
Last year, UNITE HERE members won record contracts after rolling strikes at Los Angeles hotels and a 47-day strike at Detroit casinos.
#