SF: Large Hotel Workers Union May Opt For Strike Vote

Bay City News

Housekeepers, cooks, dishwashers, servers, bartenders, banquet workers and other workers at eight downtown hotels managed by Hilton, Hyatt and Marriott might vote to go on strike as soon as their current contract expires Aug. 14.

The planned strike vote was announced Tuesday by Unite Here Local 2, which represents approximately 3,000 San Francisco hotel workers. The hotels affected are the Grand Hyatt, Hilton Union Square, Hyatt Regency Embarcadero, Marriott Marquis, Marriott Union Square, Palace Hotel, Parc 55, and Westin St. Francis.

"The state of San Francisco's tourism industry has devastated workers -- who do not work or get income when business is slow," the union statement said. "Hotels are making things worse through understaffing even on busy days."

"After months of negotiations, we're still too far apart on the issues that matter to hotel workers and their families -- like wages that actually cover the cost of living, affordable health care, and workloads that don't leave us exhausted at the end of the day," Unite Here Local 2 president Lizzy Tapia said in the statement.

"While it is true that occupancy isn't the same as before, they are recovering. The point still stands that hotels are profiting regardless of not reaching pre-pandemic occupancy rates," said a spokesperson for Unite Here Local 2. "They are utilizing a variable staffing model, where they staff less workers on slower days, but aren't staffing more workers on busier days, allowing them to still profit while our members take on heavier workloads."

The San Francisco strike vote comes months after a May rally in 18 U.S. and Canadian cities by the international union Unite Here, which represents nearly 300,000 workers in hotels, casinos, food service industries and airports.

That multi-city action was against Hilton Worldwide Holdings, Marriott International and Hyatt Hotels Corporation. In that action, workers were demanding a larger share of profits after they said hotel operators hiked up room rates in the travel boom that followed the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2018, 7,700 Marriott workers went on strike nationally, including at seven hotels in San Francisco. They obtained wage increases, better health care and protections against sexual harassment, including panic buttons for housekeepers.

Marriott International is the largest hotel company in the world, with 36 brands with 8,785 properties in 141 countries and territories, according to its 2023 annual report with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. In a financial report, released February 2024, the corporation's global revenue per available room rose 15 percent.

Marriott, Hilton and Hyatt were contacted for comment but have not returned questions as of publication.

"San Francisco's hospitality community is grappling with unparalleled challenges: reduced visitor numbers compared to pre-pandemic times, soaring interest rates, rampant inflation affecting both workers and businesses, and substantial spikes in energy and insurance expenses," said Alex Bastian, president & CEO of the Hotel Council of San Francisco.

"The industry is hurting significantly, with some owners surrendering their properties to the lender. The decrease in visitors has led to fewer shifts for workers. In the immediate future, we must make tough decisions to sustain the industry," Bastian said.

Neither the Hotel Council nor Bastian are parties to the current negotiations.

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