Approximately 10,000 hotel employees across the United States initiated a multi-day strike on Sunday after contract negotiations with major hotel operators reached an impasse.
Targets Prominent Hotel Chains
The strike, led by the Unite Here union, targets prominent hotel chains such as Marriott International, Hilton Worldwide, and Hyatt Hotels, according to Digi24.
Unite Here, which represents workers in hotels, casinos, and airports across the U.S. and Canada, announced that thousands of workers from 25 hotels are participating in the strike. '
The affected locations include popular tourist destinations like San Francisco and San Diego in California, Honolulu in Hawaii, Boston, Seattle, and Greenwich, Connecticut. The union has indicated that workers in other cities are prepared to join the strike as well.
Increase in Domestic Travel
The timing of the strike is significant, coinciding with a 9% increase in domestic travel over the Labor Day weekend compared to last year, according to AAA booking data. This surge in travel has put additional pressure on the already strained hotel industry.
Unite Here stated in a press release that strikes have also been authorized in cities such as Baltimore, New Haven, Oakland, and Providence, with the potential to begin at any time. The primary issues at the heart of the dispute include wage increases and reversing the job cuts implemented during the pandemic.
As both workers and hotel operators struggle to reach an agreement, the strike underscores the ongoing tensions in the hospitality industry, which is still grappling with the long-term impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
