About 10,000 U.S. hotel workers strike as contract talks break down

Some 10,000 U.S. hotel workers began a multi-day strike in several cities on Sunday after contract talks with hotel operators Marriott International, Hilton Worldwide and Hyatt Hotels stalled, the Unite Here union said.

Unite Here, which represents workers in hotels, casinos, and airports across the United States and Canada, said thousands of workers at 24 hotels are on strike in some major travel destinations including San Francisco and San Diego in California, Hawaii's capital city Honolulu, Boston, Seattle, and Greenwich, Connecticut, with workers from additional cities ready to join the walkout as the Labor Day holiday weekend continues.

The strike is taking place with the industry facing a 9% increase in Labor Day weekend domestic travel compared to last year, according to AAA booking data.

"Strikes have also been authorized and could begin at any time" in Baltimore, New Haven, Oakland, and Providence, the union said in a statement, as hotel workers and operators struggle to agree on wages and on reversing pandemic-era job cuts.

Hotel workers are being stretched thin, according to the union, with management frequently assigning three staff members to do the job of four. This leads to undue stress and a focus on speed over service.

"Since COVID, they're expecting us to give five-star service with three-star staff," the union said, quoting a staff member at Marriott's Palace Hotel in San Francisco.

Hotel housekeepers in Baltimore are fighting to bring wages up to $20 per hour from their current $16.20. In Boston, where housekeepers make $28 per hour, the union is seeking a $10 per hour raise by the end of four years.

Hilton and Hyatt said they remain committed to negotiating a fair agreement with the union.

Hyatt has