Workers May Now Walk Out at Any Time

More Cities May Announce Marriott Strike Votes in Coming Days

New York, NY – After a full week of rolling strike votes of UNITE HERE-represented Marriott hotel workers, UNITE HERE workers authorized Marriott strikes covering over 8,300 Marriott workers that can begin at any time. As of Friday evening, workers authorized strikes of two dozen Marriott hotels in major tourist destinations Maui, Honolulu, San Francisco, Boston, Seattle, and San Jose with an average of 96% passage in each city. This is the largest multi-city strike hotel workers have ever authorized.

The strike authorizations for over 8,300 workers come as ongoing contract negotiations have failed to reach agreement between bosses and workers each of these cities on key issues, including workplace safety around the so-called “Green Choice” program, job protections around technology and automation, and the need for Marriott to compensate workers so that one job at Marriott can be enough for workers to support themselves and their families. Marriott is the most profitable and biggest hotel company on earth and a leader in the hospitality industry, yet many Marriott workers have to work multiple full-time jobs to survive because one job at Marriott is not enough.

“Marriott hotel workers, like all workers, deserve to make a good living and to be able to support their families,” said D. Taylor, international president of UNITE HERE. “This week 8,000 Marriott workers had the courage to vote to strike the richest hotel company in the world so that they can stop working multiple full-time jobs, so they can have job security they can build their future around, and so they can live the American dream that every worker in this country strives for.”

Negotiations with the employer are slated to continue for the immediate future. Striking in all six locations can now occur at any time, and may not be announced in advance. UNITE HERE represents more than 20,000 Marriott hotel workers across North America, of whom more than 12,000 have had their contracts expire and are locked in ongoing negotiations.

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UNITE HERE represents 270,000 members working in the hotel, gaming, food service, manufacturing, textile, distribution, laundry, transportation, and airport industries in the U.S. and Canada.
Learn more at www.OneJob.org.