Thousands?of U.S.?hotel?workers?in several cities are on a multi-day?strike?after?contract?talks with?hotel?operators Marriott International, Hilton Worldwide and Hyatt?Hotels?reached an impasse, the Unite Here union said on Sunday.
Unite Here, which represents?workers?in?hotels, casinos, and airports across the United States and Canada, said more than 4,000?workers?are on?strike?in San Francisco and San Jose in California, as well as Boston, Seattle, and Greenwich, Connecticut, with hotel workers?from additional cities ready to join the walkout as the Labor Day holiday weekend continues.
“Strikes have also been authorized and could begin at any time” in Baltimore, Honolulu, Kauai, New Haven, Oakland, Providence and San Diego, the union said in a statement as hotel?workers?and operators struggle to agree on wages and on reversing pandemic-era job cuts.
This Labor Day weekend,?thousands?of?hotel?workers?will be on?strike?as the industry faces an influx of travelers, with AAA booking data showing a 9% increase in domestic travel compared to last year.
Hyatt said in a statement it is disappointed by the unions’ decision to?strike. “We look forward to continuing to negotiate fair?contracts and recognize the contributions of Hyatt employees,” Michael D’Angelo, head of labor relations at Hyatt said.
Hyatt said it has contingency plans in place to minimize the impact on?hotel?operations related to potential?strike?activity.
Marriott and Hilton did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
The?strike?comes as 40,000 Unite Here?hotel?workers?across 20 cities face expiring contracts this year. About 15,000 of those?workers?have authorized?strikes in 12 markets. Negotiations?for new four-year?contracts have been taking place since May.
“We won’t accept a ‘new normal’ where?hotel?companies profit by cutting their offerings to guests and abandoning their commitments to?workers,” Unite Here President Gwen Mills said, demanding a better deal.
The union has urged travelers to cancel their?hotel?stays if the?workers?are on?strike?and demand penalty-free refunds.
Unite Here?workers?in 2023 won record?contracts in Los Angeles following rolling?strikes, and in Detroit after a 47-day?strike.
