Hotel Worker Strikes Update: Arrests and Contract Settlements
by Briana Bonfiglio
Union Square, San Francisco. Photo: Oscity / Shutterstock.com
About 85 striking hotel workers and supporters were arrested in San Francisco this week. Meanwhile, hundreds of employees in other states have reached tentative labor agreements and are voting on new contracts.
The arrests were made during what the union UNITE HERE says was “a non-violent civil disobedience” protesting hotel companies that would not meet workers’ demands for better wages and staffing policies at Hilton San Francisco Union Square.
Hotel worker strikes across the nation began on Labor Day Weekend and have extended weeks to months at some properties. Currently, more than 3,800 workers remain on strike in San Francisco and Honolulu, including at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort.
Guests at some of the striking hotels, which include Marriott, Hyatt, and Hilton properties, have reported disruptions during their stays, including loud chanting from the picket lines.
In a previous statement, Hilton said its hotels “have contingency plans in place to ensure operations continue to run as smoothly as possible.”
“Hilton makes every effort to maintain a cooperative and productive relationship with UNITE HERE that represents some of our Team Members, and we remain committed to negotiating in good faith to reach fair and reasonable agreements that are beneficial to both our valued Team Members and to our hotels.”
Slowly, progress is now being made on those negotiations. Hotel workers in Baltimore, Boston, Greenwich, New Haven, Providence, Sacramento, San Diego, San Jose, and Toronto have recently ratified contracts.
UNITE HERE notes that strikes could still pop up in Boston, Honolulu, Kauai, Oakland, San Diego, San Francisco, San Mateo County, and Seattle. The union is urging travelers to check the Labor Dispute Map at FairHotel.org to see which hotels are striking and find alternatives if desired.
