U.S. Labor Hotel Strikes Show Frustration Of Women Workers Of Color

More than 10,000 workers at 25 hotels across the US went on strike Monday after choosing Labor Day weekend to amplify their demands for higher pay, fairer workloads, and the reversal of COVID-era cuts, Dee-Ann Durbin reported for the Associated Press (AP).

The UNITE HERE union, which represents the striking housekeepers and other hospitality workers, said 200 workers at the Hilton Baltimore Inner Harbor were the latest to walk off the job. I Photo: UNITE HERE Facebook

The UNITE HERE union, which represents the striking housekeepers and other hospitality workers, said 200 workers at the Hilton Baltimore Inner Harbor were the latest to walk off the job.

Nearly half of the striking workers—about 5,000—are in Honolulu.

Thousands of workers are also on strike in Boston, San Francisco, Seattle, San Diego, and San Jose, California. The strikes targeting Marriott, Hilton, and Hyatt hotels were set to last one to three days.

UNITE HERE said a total of 15,000 workers have voted to authorize strikes, which could soon spread to other cities, including New Haven, Connecticut; Oakland, California; and Providence, Rhode Island.

Union President Gwen Mills says the strikes are part of a long-standing battle to secure family-sustaining compensation for service workers on par with more traditionally male-dominated industries, Rio Yamat also reported for AP.