Over 10,000 workers at 25 hotels across the United States began a strike on Monday, choosing Labor Day weekend to amplify their calls for better pay, more manageable workloads, and the restoration of services cut during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The UNITE HERE union, representing the striking housekeepers and other hospitality workers, reported that 200 employees at the Hilton Baltimore Inner Harbor were the latest to join the strike.
Nearly half of the striking workers – or 5,000 – are housekeepers. Thousands of workers are also on strike in Boston, San Francisco, Seattle, San Diego and San Jose, California. The strikes, targeting Marriott, Hilton and Hyatt hotels, are expected to last one to three days.
UNITE HERE stated that a total of 15,000 workers have authorized strikes, which could potentially spread to other cities, including New Haven, Connecticut; Oakland, California; and Providence, Rhode Island.
Union President Gwen Mills explained that the strikes are part of a broader effort to secure fair compensation for service workers, comparable to more traditionally male-dominated industries.
“Hospitality work overall is undervalued, and it’s not a coincidence that it’s disproportionately women and people of color doing the work,” Mills said.
Unionized housekeepers are demanding the reinstatement of daily room cleaning at major hotel chains, citing unmanageable workloads and, in many cases, reduced hours and income. Numerous hotels reduced services during the coronavirus pandemic and have yet to fully restore them.
However, hotels maintain that guests are no longer requesting daily room cleaning and certain other services.
Michael D’Angelo, head of labor relations for Hyatt in the Americas, issued a statement on Monday indicating that the chain has contingency plans in place to minimize the impact of the strikes on hotel operations.
“We are disappointed that UNITE HERE has chosen to strike while Hyatt remains willing to negotiate,” D’Angelo said. “We look forward to continuing to negotiate fair contracts and recognize the contributions of Hyatt employees.”
Messages seeking comment were left with Marriott and Hilton on Monday.
