NEW YORK – Thousands of U.S. hotel workers in several cities are set to go on strike for several days after contract negotiations with hotel operators Marriott International (MAR.O), Hilton Worldwide (HLT.N) and Hyatt Hotels (HN) reached an impasse, the Unite Here union said on Sunday.
UNITE HERE, an organization representing hotel, casino and airport workers in the United States and Canada, said more than 4,000 workers were on strike in San Francisco and San Jose, California, as well as Boston, Seattle and Greenwich, Connecticut, with hotel workers in other cities set to join the strike as the Labor Day holiday weekend continues.
The union said in a statement that “strike(s) have also been authorized and could begin at any time” in Baltimore, Honolulu, Kauai, New Haven, Oakland, Providence and San Diego, as hotel workers and operators struggle to agree on pay and reverse pandemic-era job cuts.
This Labor Day weekend, thousands of hotel workers will be on strike as the industry faces a surge in travelers, with AAA booking data showing a 9% increase in domestic travel compared to last year.
Hyatt said in a statement that it was disappointed by the unions' decision to strike. “We look forward to continuing to negotiate fair contracts and recognize the contributions of Hyatt employees,” said Michael D'Angelo, head of labor relations at Hyatt.
Hyatt said it has contingency plans in place to minimize the impact on hotel operations from potential strike activity.
Marriott and Hilton did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment.
The strike comes as Unite Here Hotels' 40,000 employees in 20 cities face contracts expiring this year, with about 15,000 workers in 12 markets permitted to strike. Negotiations for new four-year contracts have been ongoing since May.
Unite Here president Gwen Mills called for a better deal, saying: “We will not accept a 'new normal' where hotel companies profit by cutting amenities to guests and abandoning their commitments to workers.”
The union has urged travellers to cancel their hotel stays if staff are on strike and demand a penalty-free refund.
In 2023 UNITE HERE workers won record contracts in Los Angeles after a rolling strike and in Detroit after a 47-day strike.
