Over 10,000 hotel employees from 24 different hotels across the United States protested against insufficient wages in exchange for their demanding working conditions. The strike, which took place on Monday, September 1st, was led by UNITE HERE, which announced that they were demanding improvements in both wages and working conditions.
The protest, which emerged due to the inability of hotel chains like Hilton, Hyatt, and Marriott to reach agreements with their employees during contract negotiations, made headlines worldwide, with participation from eight cities in the U.S., including Boston, Honolulu, San Francisco, San Diego, and Seattle.
UNITE HERE International President Gwen Mills stated, “We are on strike because the hotel industry has lost its way. During the pandemic, everyone suffered, but now, while the hotel industry is making record profits, workers and guests are being left behind. Too many hotels still haven’t reinstated standard services that guests deserve, like daily room cleaning and room service. Workers are not earning enough to support their families.”
In response to the hotel workers who expressed that they would not accept the necessity of working two jobs to make a living, the Hyatt America Head of Labor Relations expressed disappointment with UNITE HERE's decision to strike and stated that they would continue to negotiate for fair contracts. (CNN)
