Posts tagged Housekeepers
Strikes start at top hotel chains; housekeepers seek higher wages, daily room cleaning
September 2, 2024 // The union hopes to build on its recent success in southern California, where after repeated strikes it won significant wage hikes, increased employer contributions to pensions, and fair workload guarantees in a new contract with 34 hotels. Under the contract, housekeepers at most hotels will earn $35 an hour by July 2027. The American Hotel And Lodging Association says 80% of its member hotels report staffing shortages, and 50% cite housekeeping as their most critical hiring need. Kevin Carey, the association's interim president and CEO, says hotels are doing all they can to attract workers. According to the association's surveys, 86% of hoteliers have increased wages over the past six months, and many have offered more flexibility with hours or expanded benefits. The association says wages for hotel workers have risen 26% since the pandemic.
Baltimore Hilton Inner Harbor could face worker strike Thursday
August 14, 2024 //
Thousands of hotel workers to rally in 18 cities ahead of contract negotiations
May 1, 2024 // Unionized hotel workers demanding significant pay raises will rally on May Day in 18 U.S. and Canadian cities, as talks are beginning with operators Marriott International (MAR.O), opens new tab, Hilton Worldwide Holdings (HLT.N), opens new tab and Hyatt Hotels Corp (H.N) , opens new tab. Talks will cover about 40,000 workers who look to secure new contracts for the first time since the pandemic. Workers want to reverse pandemic-era staffing and service cuts, as well as duplicate the big pay hikes that organized workers across the nation have been winning in the recent years.
Hotel Wage Petition Fails to Meet Signature Deadline
January 29, 2024 // Unite Here Local 11, the union representing thousands of housekeepers, restaurant workers and front desk staff in Southern California and Arizona, filed a petition to raise the minimum wage of hotel workers in Beverly Hills to $30 per hour on July 25. They had 180 days from then to gather signatures from at least 10% of the city’s registered voters, roughly 2,200 residents. The petition was submitted as walkouts and picket lines formed at about 60 hotels throughout Southern California, including the three unionized hotels in Beverly Hills: the Beverly Hilton, Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills and Beverly Wilshire, a Four Seasons Hotel. The demonstrations drew widespread media coverage that helped build support for striking workers, and tentative agreements between the management of those three properties and Unite Here were reached in December. Union members must vote to ratify the deals before they are confirmed. Details regarding pay and benefits in the deal brokered by Unite Here and the hotels had not been publicly released as of press time.
Workers at Chinese-state-owned hotel in SF on strike after foodborne illness complaints
November 15, 2023 // Workers at the Chinese-state-owned BEI Hotel in SF suffered food poisoning after the hotel "unilaterally laid off its cooks and outsourced cafeteria meals," starting in May of this year, a press release said. The BEI is a 400-room hotel owned by Beijing Tourism Group, an enterprise managed by a subsidiary of the Beijing government.
Thousands of Las Vegas Strip hotel workers at 18 casinos could go on strike
November 7, 2023 // In Las Vegas, the 18 properties that could be impacted by a strike are Aria, Bellagio, Excalibur, Luxor, Mandalay Bay, MGM Grand, New York-New York, Park MGM, Caesars Palace, Flamingo, Harrah’s, Horseshoe, Paris Las Vegas, Planet Hollywood, The Cromwell, The Linq, and Wynn and Encore Resorts. The union’s deadline comes after yet another unsuccessful round of negotiations with the three casino companies. A spokesperson for Wynn Resorts declined to comment. Caesars and MGM Resorts did not respond to emailed requests for comment.
Las Vegas hospitality workers authorize strike against hotels, casinos
September 28, 2023 // The union represents more than 60,000 hospitality workers in Las Vegas and is one of Nevada’s strongest political forces. More than 95 percent of workers voted to authorize a strike Tuesday, the union announced. More than 40,000 members are working without a contract as the union seeks better pay, benefits and working conditions in negotiations with top casino companies including, MGM International, Wynn and Caesars Entertainment. The union did not set a deadline for a walkout, but a full strike would effectively freeze all activity on the Las Vegas Strip, key to the city’s economy. The union represents nearly all nongaming workers at hotels and casinos, including housekeepers, waitstaff and kitchen staff.
Hotel workers strike at five Santa Monica properties after negotiations stall again
September 27, 2023 // Unite Here Local 11 — which represents thousands of cooks, housekeepers, dishwashers, servers, bellmen and front desk agents in Los Angeles and Orange counties — has been urging hotels to agree to sweeping wage increases given how deeply the housing crisis affects workers. The union last month urged convention organizers and visitors to “stay away from strike-ready hotels” that haven’t signed new contracts with more than 15,000 workers at some 60 properties. Unite Here Local 11’s key demand for months had been a $5 immediate hourly wage increase and a $3 boost each subsequent year of the three-year contract, for a total raise of $11. Southern California hotel workers have been on strike on and off since July 2.
Over 11,000 L.A. workers plan to strike, hoping to ‘shut down’ city
August 8, 2023 // Mayor Karen Bass (D) said Saturday that the city is committed to ensuring a fair contract for its workers. “City workers are vital to the function of services for millions of Angelenos every day and to our local economy. They deserve fair contracts and we have been bargaining in good faith with SEIU 721 since January,” Bass said. “The City will always be available to make progress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.” Los Angeles International Airport and the Port of Los Angeles did not return requests for comment regarding the possible disruptions to their operations that the strike could cause.
‘We Want Fairness’: Union Workers At Wyndham Historic District Hotel On Strike Over Pay, Staff Shortages
November 21, 2021 // Housekeepers, bartenders, food service staff, cooks, laundry attendants, dishwashers and bellmen all walked off the job to picket outside the Wyndham Historic District Hotel in Old City. The staff cite numerous concerns, from low pay to staffing.