US hotel workers continue to strike

Over 1,500 hospitality workers in San Francisco went on strike on Mondaydemanding better wages and treatment from Hilton (HLT), Marriott (APPLE), and Hyatt.

Monday’s action is part of a month-long effort by members United here labor union, who have mostly been on strike for short periods since 1 September.

More than 13,500 hotel workers have walked off the job at some point in the past three weeks in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Hawaii, Washington and California. At the Hilton San Diego Bayfront, 720 workers have been on indefinite strike since September 1.

“I’m on strike because I have to work two jobs to support my family,” Jin Ling Xie, who worked as a housekeeper at the Hilton San Francisco Union Square for a decade, said in a statement. “I love my job and going on strike was not an easy decision, but it is what I have to do for my family.

Jin said a job at Hilton doesn’t cover the bills: “I’m always worried about the family budget. My kids are in high school and I don’t know how I’m going to pay for their college. Things are hard now, but I know that when we fight together, we can win a better future.”

Gwen Mills, Unite Here’s international president, said workers want Covid-19 cuts to housekeeping and other hotel services reinstated. Staffing for occupied rooms decreased by 13% between 2019 and 2022.

“Hotels and hotel workers have suffered during the pandemic, but now the hotel industry is making record profits,” Mills said. “These huge hotel corporations can afford to reverse Covid-era cutbacks and give us livable wages, affordable health care and jobs that don’t break your body.”

Marriott and Hilton did not immediately return a request for comment.

Hyatt (H) told Quartz that it has “a history of offering competitive wages and benefits in the marketplace.”

“(…) Hyatt has a long history of cooperation with the unions that represent our employees, including Unite Here Local 2,” said Michael D’Angelo, head of labor relations for Hyatt hotels in the Americas. “We are disappointed that Unite Here Local 2 has chosen to strike again, while Hyatt remains willing to continue negotiations in good faith.”