10,000 hotel workers strike in California, Massachusetts, Hawaii, Washington before Labor Day

Workers argue that the pandemic’s staffing reductions have never been fully reversed, leading to excessive workloads and financial strain.Photo byIan SimmondsonUnsplash

In a dramatic move, approximately 10,000 hotel workers have gone on strike across the U.S. during the busy Labor Day weekend. The strike, involving UNITE HERE union members, affects 25 hotels in eight cities, including Boston, Greenwich, Honolulu, Kauai, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, and Seattle. Strikes have also been authorized and could begin at any time in Baltimore, New Haven, Oakland, and Providence.

The strikes, which are set to last two or three days, come as hotels have seen record profits and high room rates while maintaining reduced staffing levels and service offerings. Workers argue that the pandemic’s staffing reductions have never been fully reversed, leading to excessive workloads and financial strain.

“I have to work a second job to support my family,” said Mary Taboniar, a housekeeper in Honolulu. “One job should be enough to cover basic needs.”

Christian Carbajal, a San Diego market attendant, added, “I don’t want hotels to become like the airline industry, where service quality suffers due to cost-cutting.”

The union is calling on guests to avoid hotels on strike and is providing resources to help them find alternative accommodations. The strike highlights ongoing issues in the hotel industry regarding worker treatment and service quality as it rebounds from the pandemic.