Unionized Omni Hotel workers march for rights in New Haven

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) — Workers at the Omni New Haven Hotel at Yale marched through the rain Sunday to rally for a fair contract.

UNITE HERE, the union representing 120 workers, says it has been negotiating for months, asking for raises, better workloads, and certain protections.

The workers include housekeepers, front desk agents, kitchen staff, and more at the hotel.
Dozens of employees with signs rallied outside the hotel, yelling chants on Sunday afternoon.
The group says they will strike if a fair contract is not reached.

“We’ve been negotiating since November, but if we don’t get it done, we’re more than prepared to strike,” Josh Stanley, Local 217- UNITE HERE, said. “We want to let them know, we want them to hear us loud and clear, and we want them to see all of the support we have.”

Omni Hotels and Resorts said they can’t comment on the specifics of the contract negotiations.

“Out of respect for all parties, we won’t comment on the specifics of the negotiations. However, we can confirm that we have been negotiating in good faith with UNITE HERE, Local 217, since November 2023 in an effort to reach a fair agreement. Recently, Omni proposed bringing in a federal mediator from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service to help facilitate our discussions with the union.  We are committed and hopeful this will lead to a productive resolution.”

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