Approximately 10,000 hotel workers went on strike today in many cities across the U.S., demanding wage increases and more staff.
According to the Unite Here union, approximately 10,016 of its members took part in the strike at 25 facilities operated by the hotel giants Hilton, Hyatt, and Marriott.
The highest participation by hotel workers in the strike was recorded at hotels in Boston, San Francisco, and Honolulu, for a total of eight cities, according to Unite Here, while hotel workers in four other cities are considering joining the strike action.
The strikes are expected to last two to three days, the union said in a statement.
The strike actions are taking place in the middle of a three-day holiday weekend in the country, as the weekend is followed by the federal Labor Day holiday in the U.S. (which is celebrated tomorrow, September 2). This three-day weekend is particularly lucrative for the tourism industry.
According to Unite Here, the hotel industry «exploited» the COVID-19 pandemic to reduce its workforce, without fully replenishing it after health restrictions were lifted.
Union members also claim that their wages often no longer allow them to cover their living expenses and that «many are forced to take on a second job just to make ends meet.».
At the same time, they point out, the hotel industry has fully recovered from the Covid-19 crisis.
In 2023, the average price of a hotel room in the U.S. reached $156 per night on average, a record high, according to STR.
Average revenue per room was also higher than ever, according to the same source.
In recent months, many companies have signed new contracts with their employees, but negotiations between employers and employees have failed to result in agreements in many other cases.
«We are disappointed that Unite Here chose to call a strike while Hyatt remains willing to negotiate,» Michael D’Angelo, head of labor relations for the hotel group in the U.S., told Agence France-Presse.
«We want to continue negotiating fair agreements and recognizing the contributions of Hyatt employees,» he added.
The spokesperson emphasized that the hotel group had taken steps to «minimize the impact of a strike on its operations.».
