Union Cautions Travelers that Labor Disputes are Active at Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott, and Omni Hotels Across U.S.

Sacramento, Calif. – Hotel workers in Sacramento have announced that they will take a strike authorization vote on Wednesday, Sept. 11. The vote follows Labor Day strikes by over 10,000 hotel workers in nine other cities across the U.S., including an ongoing strike by 700 hotel workers in San Diego. Workers are calling for higher wages, fair staffing and workloads, and the reversal of COVID-era cuts.

Thousands of hotel workers in twelve cities across the U.S. have authorized strikes at Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott, and Omni hotel properties that are locked in unresolved contract negotiations. Hotel workers with the UNITE HERE union have voted to authorize strikes in Baltimore, Boston, Honolulu, Greenwich, Kauai, New Haven, Oakland, Providence, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, and Seattle. Hotel workers at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront remain on strike; strikes in the other cities may begin at any time.

“I’m ready to strike because I need a raise to support my kids,” said Shamika Ofaire, a public areas housekeeper at the Sheraton Grand Hotel in Sacramento. “Going to the grocery store is so stressful, because my paycheck is not enough. My kids are growing, and I want to be able to buy them the clothes they like, the cereals they want, or even the personal hygiene products they need. But the way I get paid, I can’t afford it. My wages are just not matching the prices.”

The strike vote in Sacramento covers over 150 Marriott employees at the Sheraton Grand Hotel, including housekeepers, front desk agents, cooks, dishwashers, servers, bartenders, and more. The current union contract expired on June 30, 2024.

The union warns travelers that labor disputes are active in all of these cities. Strike issues have not been resolved.  Negotiations are ongoing. More strikes are possible at any time should issues remain unresolved.  The union urges guests not to eat, sleep, or meet at any hotel that is on strike. Guests should 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.

“Strike issues including raises, workloads, and COVID-era cuts have not been resolved, and workers are ready to do whatever it takes to win,” said Gwen Mills, International President of UNITE HERE. “Workers aren’t making enough to support their families, and many can no longer afford to live in the cities that they welcome guests to. Too many hotels still haven’t restored staffing or the services that guests deserve, like automatic daily housekeeping and room service, and painful workloads are breaking workers’ bodies. We won’t accept a ‘new normal’ where hotel companies profit by cutting their offerings to guests and abandoning their commitments to workers.”

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 say their wages aren’t enough to cover the cost of living, and many have to work two jobs to make ends meet.

Hotel staffing per occupied room was down 13% from 2019 to 2022 as many hotels maintained COVID-era cuts, including understaffing, ending automatic daily housekeeping, and removing food and beverage options. The union says these cuts caused some workers to lose jobs and income, while creating painful working conditions for the others who carry the increased workload.

Last year, UNITE HERE members won record contracts after rolling strikes at Los Angeles hotels and a 47-day strike at Detroit casinos.