During Labor Day weekend, thousands of hotel workers went on strike when union negotiations soured.
With 25 hotels immediately impacted with more on the way…
How will the strike affect the rest of the hospitality industry?
What Caused The Hotel Strike?
Over 25,000 hotel workers went on strike to advocate for better wages and a reverse of pandemic-era cost-cutting measures. The strike was made up of hotel housekeepers, servers, and front-desk staff.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, hospitality was one of the sectors most deeply impacted…
HOTELS INDISCRIMINATELY CUT STAFF AND DROpPED ROOM PRICES TO MAKE UP FOR THE LOSSES.
However, the staff that wasn’t cut had double the workload and the same wages. Since the sector has recovered, with this year reaching an all-time high for travel…
Many of the pandemic-era restrictions have stubbornly stuck around. Essentially, hotel workers are dealing with masses of travelers while increasingly understaffed.
Some hotels have tried to accommodate for the uneven workload by making daily housekeeping only on request. Yet, this doesn’t help workers as much as management would’ve hoped…
When housekeepers do one big clean at the end of a visitor stay, it becomes much more labor-intensive and time-consuming.
The union representing the hotel strike workers, UNITE HERE, stated that workers will not accept this “new normal”…
AND THAT FOLLOWING THE PANDEMIC, THEIR WAGES HAVE NOT BEEN ADJUSTED FOR THE COST OF LIVING.
The hotel strike occurred in 25 hotels across nine cities (Honolulu; Baltimore; Boston; Seattle; San Francisco; San Diego; San Jose, CA; and Greenwich, CT).
Hotel chains affected include Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott, and Fairmont.
But how have these hotels dealt with the strike?
Hotel’s Responses
During the strike, affected hotels announced that they would continue operations…
With contingency plans in place for staffing issues.
While the main strike lasted through the weekend…
UNITE HERE authorized more hotel strikes across the country that could take place at any moment.
Regarding the negotiations, different hotel chains have expressed their disappointment and hope for more successful talks.
Michael D’Angelo, head of Hyatt labor relations was less than pleased with the strike…
STATING THE COMPANY WAS “DISAPPOINTED THAT UNITE HERE HAS CHOSEN TO STRIKE WHILE HYATT REMAINS WILLING TO NEGOTIATE.”
A spokeswoman for Hilton, on the otherhand, had a much more optimistic outlook…
Saying that the company was still “committed to negotiating in good faith to reach fair and reasonable agreements.”
THE HOTEL INDUSTRY IS WORTH OVER $1.5 TRILLION GLOBALLY
Many hotels pride themselves on providing serene experiences for guests (some hotels go as far as investing in “sleep tourism”)…
But for the hotel workers on strike, the story is completely different.
If negotiations don’t find a mutual solution for both parties…
There’s no telling how much the hotel industry in america will have to lose.
Be Great,
GCTV Staff
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