Thousands of Hotel Workers Begin Strike Votes as New Cities Announce Additional Strike Votes

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Thousands of Hotel Workers Begin Strike Votes as New Cities Announce Additional Strike Votes

8/9/2024
BOSTON, MASS. – Around 5,000 Boston hotel workers began their strike authorization vote today as workers in additional cities across the U.S. announced plans to take strike votes of their own. Over 10,000 hotel workers in Baltimore, Boston, Honolulu, New Haven, Providence, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, and Seattle will hold strike authorization votes in August. Widespread labor disputes are possible at Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott, and Omni hotels as workers demand higher wages, fair staffing and workloads, and the reversal of COVID-era staffing cuts.

“I sleep with pain, I wake up with pain, I go to work with pain,” said Jianci Liang, a housekeeper at the Hilton Park Plaza in Boston for seven years. “Since we returned to work after COVID, there are about 20 fewer Room Attendants on the regular schedule. Without the proper staffing, my job is getting harder and harder. When the rooms are sold out, we have to cover the work of the missing people. I have no choice but to work, because it’s hard to save money or set aside funds for an emergency.”

“I’m voting yes to strike because I barely have time to spend with my family because I have to work three jobs in order to support us. When I do have time, I’m so exhausted from working so much,” said Anabel Castro, housekeeper at Marriott’s Westin Moana Surfrider in Honolulu, Hawaii, for 20 years. “I’m tired of being tired. I’m tired of asking the company to respect my work, and I’m ready to go on strike if I have to.”

If workers vote to authorize strikes, they could begin any time after contracts expire. Contracts in some cities have already expired, while others expire in the coming weeks. The strike votes follow protests in ten cities in mid-July as contract negotiations drag on. Over 40,000 hotel workers with the UNITE HERE union have contracts up for renegotiation this year in more than 20 cities across the U.S. and Canada, and additional strike votes may be announced. Last year, UNITE HERE members won record contracts after rolling strikes at Los Angeles hotels.

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 protecting work associated with providing guest services and amenities. The U.S. 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. Many hotels nationwide have kept COVID-era service cuts in place, including understaffing, ending automatic daily housekeeping, removing food and beverage options, and more. In the U.S., hotel staffing per occupied room was down 13% from 2019 to 2022 and down 32% from 1995 to 2022.

"Momentum is building for strikes this year because workers are at a breaking point while the hotel industry is making record profits," said UNITE HERE International President Gwen Mills. "Hotel companies took advantage of COVID to make severe cuts to staffing and guest services, and now workers say that their jobs are more painful than ever. Meanwhile, wages aren’t enough to cover the cost of living, and many workers have two or even three jobs. This is a fight about the future of the industry for guests and workers alike, and our members are putting the hotels on notice that they’re ready to strike for what their families need."

Learn more at www.unitehere.org.

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