Union Contracts Expired or Set to Expire for 40K Workers; UNITE HERE Calls for Hotels to Raise Standards for Guests and Workers, Protect Against Cuts to Services and Amenities

Thousands of hotel workers across the U.S. and Canada will protest on May 1 as they prepare for possible widespread labor disputes at major hotel brands including Hilton, Marriott, and Hyatt. Union contracts covering around 40,000 workers have expired or are set to expire this year.

Workers are calling for the hotel industry to “Respect Our Work” and “Respect Our Guests” by raising wages, reversing staffing cuts that have led to painful working conditions, and agreeing to protect guest services and amenities. Since the onset of the pandemic, many hotels have scaled back services and staffing, and hotel room rates have reached record highs as these service cuts linger. The hotel industry’s gross operating profit was 26.63% higher in 2022 than 2019, but hotel workers report heavy workloads, loss of hours, and jobs that aren’t enough to afford the cost of living.

“It’s time for hotels to reverse staffing cuts so we can give guests the best possible service,” said Delmy Munguia, a bartender at the DoubleTree by Hilton Boston Cambridge. “The lounge used to open around check-in time, and I loved welcoming customers with a nice cocktail. But after COVID, they reduced our hours, and now the lounge opens later. Not only does this hurt the guests, but it also hurts me because I can’t get enough work to pay all my bills.”

Many hotels nationwide have kept COVID-era service cuts in place, including ending automatic daily housekeeping, removing food and beverage options, shuttering VIP lounges, and more. Hotels are employing fewer workers: hotel staffing per occupied room is down 13% since 2019 and 32% since 1995. Workers say this leaves them with a heavier workload.

“We want to defend automatic daily housekeeping because rooms are dirtier and harder for us if they go multiple days without cleaning,” said Tammy Tam, a housekeeper at Marriott’s W Hotel San Francisco. “It stresses me out. It hurts my knees and shoulders because I have to scrub harder to get all the grime off the bathtub and lift more wet towels. Automatic daily housekeeping is good for guests and workers, because guests love coming back to a clean room every day, and it protects us housekeepers from stress, pain, and injury.”

“I am ready to get a better contract,” said La’Tan Smith, a cook at the Hilton Baltimore Inner Harbor. “I should not have to tell my daughter no for after school activities or for things that she wants to do because I cannot afford it. I shouldn’t have to work twelve-hour days just to make my check look like something. I shouldn’t have to miss all of my child’s life and help with homework just so that I can make a living. One job should be enough.”

Union contracts covering around 40,000 workers at 230 hotels across the U.S. and Canada are up for renegotiation in over 22 cities this year, including Boston, Honolulu, San Diego, San Jose, San Francisco, Washington DC, and more. Most expire by August 2024. This is the first national contract fight in the hospitality industry since the recent resurgence of labor, including record-setting strikes in 2023. Last year, UNITE HERE members won record contracts after rolling strikes at Los Angeles hotels and a citywide strike threat at Las Vegas casinos. Over 7,000 Marriott hotel workers went on strike across multiple cities in 2018.

“This campaign is about the future of hospitality workers – and the hospitality industry. We don’t want to see hotels go the way of the airline industry, where customers feel they’re constantly paying more and getting less,” said UNITE HERE International President Gwen Mills. “Jobs in hospitality are growing faster than in any other sector of the U.S. economy, and this fight will set the standard for millions of Americans and Canadians who work in cooking, cleaning, and customer service. Hospitality workers – overwhelmingly women and people of color – are determined to win safe workloads, respect, and a future where one job is enough.”

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