Numerous US hotels encountered disruptions on Monday during the bustling Labour Day public holiday as more than 10,000 workers initiated a strike following stalled contract negotiations, according to employees and the Unite Here union. Dressed in red shirts and using buckets as percussion, members of Unite Here staged pickets at Hilton Worldwide, Hyatt Hotels, and Marriott International properties from Honolulu, Hawaii to Boston, Massachusetts, demanding increased wages.
The strike coincides with a nine percent rise in domestic travel over the Labour Day weekend compared to last year, based on booking data from the American Automobile Association. In inquiries to hotels in Hawaii, Boston, and San Jose, California, front-desk personnel reported that services like restaurants and housekeeping were affected due to worker shortages on the second day of the strike.
"The hotel is open but with very limited staff," mentioned an employee at the Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach in Honolulu. Hyatt has implemented contingency plans to mitigate the operational impact of the strike, according to Michael D'Angelo, the head of labour relations at the hotel chain. Both Hilton and Hyatt expressed their commitment to negotiating a fair agreement with the union, while Marriott has not yet responded to a request for comment.
Unite Here reported that workers were on strike at 25 hotels across nine US cities, with the strike expected to last up to three days. "Hotel workers throughout the US are commemorating Labour Day by advocating for raises, equitable workloads, and the restoration of Covid-era service and staffing reductions," stated Gwen Mills, the International President of Unite Here. Workers argue that their wages are insufficient to meet living costs and that hotels have not reinstated staffing levels reduced during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Unite Here members secured record contracts last year after extended strikes in Los Angeles and a 47-day strike at Detroit casinos, as per the union which represents hotel, casino, and airport workers in the United States and Canada.
