Major hotel strike sweeps across US over Labor Day weekend

The strikes affect 24 US hotels with more than 23,000 rooms, according to Unite Here. (REUTERS/Mike Blake/File image)

Miles of workers of hotels of the main cities of the country left their jobs this Sunday morning, September 1st, in a wave of strikes which is expected to quickly reach other cities in USA.

The initial strikes, which mainly affect Hilton Hotels, Marriott y Hyattwill last three days. More than 10,000 hotel workers of San Francisco, Saint Joseph, San Diego, Honolulu, Kauai, Boston, Seattle y Greenwich, Connecticut, went on strike early in the day. The strikes could spread to other communities on Sunday or Monday, such as New Haven, Connecticut, Baltimore y Oakland, California.

He paro threatens to cause disruption on a busy holiday weekend. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has stated that this year it is expected that the Labor Day the busiest period of travel ever recorded.

Striking workers are calling for higher wages, more staff and lighter workloads. (REUTERS/Mike Blake)

As of Sunday morning, the strikes had affected 24 establishments with more than 23,000 rooms, according to Unite Here, national union of hospitality with more than 275,000 members, the majority of whom are women and African Americans.

The union, which suffered significant membership losses during the height of the pandemicclaims that his workers They are on strike to demand a salary increasefurther personal and a reduction in the workload.

The union accuses the hotels to use the lockouts from the time of the rockets as a pretext to cut costs permanently by firing employees employees and the suspension of the guest servicesThe union claims that as a result, its members have lost income y joband those that remain support some working conditions “painful”.

“I’m on strike because I need higher wages“, said Daniela Campusanohousekeeper at Hilton’s Hampton Inn & Homewood Suites in the District Seaport of Bostonin a statement on Sunday. “I currently have two jobs and work about 65 hours a week. One job should be enough.”

Unite Here says Covid-era cuts have worsened working conditions. (KM Cannon/Las Vegas Review-Journal/AP)

Unite Here is asking guests with reservations in hotels con workers on strike to “cancel their stay immediately” and “demand a refund without cancellation fees.”

Las hotel companies They say they are trying to cooperate with union members.

Michael D’Angeloa spokesman for Hyattsaid in a statement that the company “has a long history of cooperation with the unions that represent our employees” and is “disappointed that UNITE HERE has opted for strike, while Hyatt remains willing to negotiate.”

Los hotels have plans in place to “minimize the impact on hotel operations” related to the strikes, D’Angelo said.

Hilton He said he is “doing everything possible to maintain a cooperative and productive relationship” with the union, adding that the chain is “committed to negotiating in good faith to reach fair and reasonable agreements.”

Marriott did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

About 15,000 trade unionists Of 12 cities voted in August to authorize the strike, which could trigger the largest strike hotelier of the history of the United States if you add up workers from more cities.

Unite Here says the hospitality industry has gone off the rails. (AP/Damian Dovarganes)

Los union contracts that cover the housekeepers, receptionists, buttons, restaurant waiters, Cooks, waiters and others workers in each of the cities expired in the weeks leading up to the strike, and the companies and the union remained deadlocked early Sunday in the Contract negotiations.

“We are on strike because the hotel industry has gone off the rails,” he said. Gwen Millspresident of Unite Herein a statement on Sunday morning. “The workers They do not earn enough to support their families. Many can no longer afford to live in the cities where they host their guests, and the gruelling workloads are tearing their bodies apart.”

The union hopes to consolidate the gains made in strikes and strike threats in 2023. Last summer, thousands of hotel workers of Los Angeles and surrounding areas participated in rotating strikes, achieving higher wages and more equitable workload guarantees.

And the Detroit casino workers achieved an immediate average wage increase of 18% and a reduction in workload after 47 days of strike action. Nevadathe powerful local union achieved the biggest gains in almost 90 years for some 40,000 hospitality workersafter a mere threat of a strike.

More than 10,000 workers in cities including San Francisco, San Jose, San Diego, Honolulu, Kauai, Boston, Seattle and Greenwich have gone on strike. (REUTERS/Carlos Barria)

Many American hotels have maintained the covid era cutbackswith less personal, less frequent cleaning and less food and drink optionsaccording to the union. The hotel staff by occupied room fell 13% from 2019 to 2022, he says.

Christian Carbajalemployee of the Hilton San Diego Bayfront For 15 years, it has been among the workers on strike on Sunday. During the pandemicthe hotel closed the department of room service de Carbajal, transferring him to a position in the takeaway food market of the hotel. Without the room service tipssays Carbajal, earns about $800 less per month.

He salary cut This has forced him, his wife and two children to move in with three other relatives in a house further away from the hotel. He and his wife have also adopted alternating work schedules – he at night and she during the day – to avoid expenses. nursery.

“They are pushing us to strike because they are not paying us fairly,” said Carbajal, who earns $23 an hour, The Washington Post before the strike began. “It’s bad that we had to go so far to get better working conditionsto feel appreciated as someone with so many years of service.”

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