Skift Take
New hotel strikes in San Francisco are part of a larger labor action that could involve nearly 40,000 U.S. hotel workers by year's end.
More than 1,500 San Francisco hotel workers went on strike Sunday, demanding better pay and working conditions from Hilton, Marriott, and Hyatt.
Why it matters: Unite Here, the hospitality workers' union, says that about 40,000 hotel workers in 22 North American markets have contracts that have either expired or will expire by the end of 2024.
Gwen Mills, who became president of Unite Here in June, said the lapse in contracts set the stage for potential widespread labor actions across the hotel sector if issues remain unresolved.
"Our workers really weathered the storm together with owners in many places, making sacrifices to keep things going," Mills told Skift. "Now we want to be part of the rebound. These are the first major negotiations since Covid, and we're hoping to rebalance and restore service."
Labor's Changing Tactics Over 30,000 hotel workers have seen their co