Thousands of US hotel workers strike as contract negotiations stall
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.
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.
Unite Here workers in 2023 won record contracts in Los Angeles following rolling strikes, and in Detroit after a 47-day strike.