UNITE HERE Local 23 hotel workers ratify historic agreement with Hilton and will return to work 

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HOUSTON–The first hotel strike in Texas history comes to an end after strikers voted to ratify a new contract with Hilton Americas-Houston on Friday. The 40-day strike, which was the first hotel strike led by union members in Texas, has brought forth significant gains raising the standard for hotel workers in the city

In April, hospitality workers launched their campaign to secure a living wage for Houston’s workers and called on Hilton Americas to lead the way in providing more stable and secure jobs for workers who make tourism possible. Today’s agreement secured historic wage increases making Hilton Americas Houston housekeepers, laundry attendants, and stewards the first to earn a $20 minimum wage with guaranteed wage increases that will bring workers to a $22 minimum by the end of the contract. The new agreement also provides strong job security protections along with improved housekeeping workloads, and job safety raising the standard for hotel workers struggling to survive in one of the most expensive cities in the U.S.

“This victory is an attestation of our members’ strength, their will, and determination. They held the line for over a month in the heat and rain, as they fought to secure better standards after being left behind for so long. It was an incredibly hard fight, and the outcome reflects just that. Now we expect all the players in Houston’s hospitality industry to follow suit and pay workers a living wage,” said Franchesca Caraballo, Texas Chapter President of UNITE HERE Local 23.

Hotel workers gained the support of the Texas AFL-CIO, the Texas Gulf Coast Area Labor Federation, and dozens of allies whose donations funded the hardship fund that supported strikers’ ability to afford rent and utilities as they became due. Strikers were also uplifted by Houston’s political class including city council members, the county commissioners’ office, Texas state representatives, and congresspeople.

In addition to hotel workers at the Hilton Americas, UNITE HERE Local 23 represents Houston hospitality workers at George R. Brown Convention center, Marriott Marquis and the George Bush International Airport, where union contracts expired between October 1 and December 1 this year.

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UNITE HERE Local 23 represents 28,000 hospitality workers from universities and museums to airport concessions, hotel and parking attendants. Local 23 members are active in Georgia, Mississippi, Charlotte, Nashville, DC, Boise, Indiana, Denver, New Orleans, Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Virginia.