Hilton workers’ union sits down with city leaders, no deal yet with hotel chain

Despite recent movement, Hilton and the union representing over 200 of its Inner Harbor hotel workers are not on the same page.

WMAR-2 News sat in on a roundtable discussion with union and city leaders on Wednesday afternoon, where workers shared their concerns directly with incumbent and incoming members of the Baltimore City Council.

The UNITE Here Local 7 union told WMAR it is trying to raise pay to $20 an hour, and reduce the disparity between Baltimore's workers and workers in neighboring major cities.

"At this point, we had bargaining with both the Hilton and the Hyatt last week, and both hotels, what they’re proposing, does not close that gap - even with some significant movement on wages from the Hilton - does not close that gap, between Baltimore and these other cities," said Tracy Lingo, president of UNITE Here Local 7.

Earlier this month, 97 percent of Union voters approved a strike authorization. Union leadership has said it wants to reach an agreement, but are prepared to walk out.

"We've got to continue to go to work every day, do as much overtime as we can, just to make ends meet," said Jerome Roberts, a Hilton worker.

READ MORE: Hotel workers picket for higher wages outside Light St. Hyatt

"Hilton has an established track record of successfully negotiating labor agreements with UNITE HERE Local 7 and is committed to negotiating in good faith to reach a fair and reasonable agreement that is beneficial to both our valued team members and to our hotels," the hotel chain told WMAR in a statement last week.

"One job should be enough, and we should have the respect to pay workers what they are worth especially at a hotel like the Hilton which is, technically, city-owned," Zeke Cohen, the Democratic nominee for City Council President, said Wednesday.

WMAR asked Lingo what it would take to call a strike. Lingo said that is up to the hotel chain itself.

"Everyone here, what they're talking about, about living paycheck to paycheck. Obviously that makes the decision to strike even harder, because if we strike that means we're going to be losing pay. But workers are saying, we are ready to lose the pay in the immediate if it means that we have a contract that moves us forward, and moves our city forward," Lingo responded.

Hotel workers are now working under their agreement until August 29th. The union has bargaining dates on August 28th and September 5th.