Labour showdown looms in major US hotel chains

Some 13,500 unionised hotel workers in four US cities are preparing strike authorisation votes next month as contract negotiations come to a standstill with Marriott International, Hilton Worldwide Holdings, and Hyatt Hotels Corp, the union said.

Until then, a workers' union that represents employees in hotels, casinos, and airports in the US and Canada, reported that voting will begin the first week in August in Boston, San Francisco, Honolulu and Providence, Rhode Island.

"We are getting ready," said Elena Duran, a server at Marriott's Palace Hotel in San Francisco. "Seeing the proposals from the hotels, people are not happy."

Workers at 125 hotels across these cities are negotiating new contracts — or picking up the pace on current negotiations — that broadly call for big pay raises. In addition to higher wages, they are pushing for better health care and retirement packages and are demanding hotel operators cease their pandemic-era cuts to both staff and services, including the frequency of room cleanings.

"Frankly, we were insulted with what they came to the table with," said Carlos Aramayo, president of UNITE HERE Local 26 in Boston. "We are very, very far apart from an agreement."

An additional 26,500 hospitality workers in 16 US cities, represented by UNITE HERE, are also bargaining new contracts.

"We are disappointed that several UNITE HERE locals have chosen to take strike votes," a spokesperson from Hyatt said.

The hotel operator said it has contingency plans in place in the event of a strike so that its hotel operations are not affected.

A spokesperson at Hilton underlined the relationship that the company has with the union as one of cooperation and productivity. Marriott did not respond to a request for comment.

The more the talks slog along and the frustration mounts, the more likely a strike seems. The results of these critical votes to authorise a strike will affect the future of labour relations in the industry and could leave thousands of workers on the picket lines, disrupting the operations of the major chains.