Hotel Workers Strike Continues, Union and Marriott Have Not Reached Agreement

Marriott and union workers still have not reached an agreement in labor negotiations, as workers continue to strike in eight cities across the U.S.

For the third week, 2,700 workers in Maui and Oahu picketed in front of the Royal Hawaiian by Marriott, Sheraton Maui Hotel by Marriott, Sheraton Princess Kaiulani by Marriott, Sheraton Waikiki by Marriott; and Moana Surfrider, a Westin Resort by Marriott.

Strikers in Hawaii joined bellhops, cooks and other service workers who walked off the job earlier in the month at Marriott properties in Detroit, San Diego, San Jose, Oakland, San Francisco and Boston.

Unite Here, the labor union that represents hotel workers, has separate contract agreements with Marriott International in each city, which are all negotiated separately. Union members are calling for higher pay and worker safety.

Another issue of contention is the fear that technology will take over their jobs. From self-check-in kiosks with facial-recognition technology to iPads that serve as an in-room concierge, automation in hospitality is becoming ever more present.

As Juan Eusebio, a 32-year-old doorman at the W Hotel in Boston and a member of the local union’s negotiating team told the Associated Press, “I just want any technology that comes in to help us do a better job, not take our jobs away.”

The union and Marriott have been at the negotiating table, but so far have failed to reach an agreement. Marriott said that it is “disappointed that Unite Here has chosen to resort to a strike instead of attempting to resolve these disputes at the bargaining table.”

“We continue to believe that the best place to resolve these issues is at the bargaining table. We remain committed to negotiating in good faith to reach a fair contract for all parties,” a Marriott International spokesperson said.

During the strike, several hotels issued letters to guests warning them of closed restaurants and the lack of housekeeping. Unite Here posted photos from several Marriott hotels in Hawaii and San Diego on strike, where general managers apologized for the limited service available. At the Moana Surfrider hotel in Waikiki Beach, for example, guests are instructed to go to the elevator landing in the hotel to pick up fresh towels, linen and soap.

Marriott said it has activated contingency plans at the 23 hotels currently experiencing a strike to ensure they are able to continue to operate.

“There is no end date. It’s an indefinite strike until we achieve our demands,” Anand Singh, president of the union's Local 2 in San Francisco, told USA Today.