Union: Boston hotel workers at 35 hotels preparing for potential strike over wages and workloads

After months of unsuccessful negotiations over wages and workloads, hotel workers in Boston are preparing for a potential strike at 35 hotels, the union representing the city’s hotel workers said Tuesday.

Plans for a potential strike comes less than a week before contracts expire, UNITE HERE Local 26, the union representing hotel workers in Boston, said in a statement.

Hotels that could see a potential strike include the Hilton Boston Park Plaza, the Hilton Boston Logan Airport, and the Fairmont Copley Plaza. Hotel workers are registering for strike benefits, signing up for picket duty, and assembling “On Strike” signs, the union said.

These actions come after an overwhelming 99% vote to authorize a historic citywide strike, which could happen anytime after contracts expire on August 31st.

Note: Workers and union officials are available for interviews at 26 West Street in Boston, 7am to 7pm, through Friday August 30th. Please call to coordinate.

“I’m ready to strike because we’re all struggling to pay our monthly bills,” Susana Coelho, a PBX Operator at the Hilton Boston Logan Airport Hotel for 21 years, said in a statement. “Groceries, even basic items like eggs and pasta, are three times more expensive than before. Many of my co-workers are facing the same problems, and they’re getting ready to strike, too.”

“We’ve been in negotiations for months, but the hotels don’t want to help us out in these hard times,” Coelho said. “I’m ready to show the hotel that I’m serious about winning a livable wage and securing a better future for myself and my daughter.”

“Hotel workers are preparing in earnest for a historic Citywide strike in Boston and across the U.S.,” Carlos Aramayo, president of UNITE HERE Local 26, said in a statement. “It’s unacceptable that hotel workers often struggle to afford basic necessities despite working for a big brand like Hilton or Marriott. Our work of providing high quality guest services and amenities should be protected, and guests should know they can expect the same experience that they had before Covid-19. After months of unsuccessful negotiations, hotel workers are ready to fight for what we deserve, and we’re going to win.”

Hotel workers across the U.S. are calling for higher wages, fair staffing and workloads, and the reversal of COVID-era cuts, according to the union. Many hotel workers are struggling to make ends meet with insufficient pay, often juggling multiple jobs to support their families.

Union officials said that too many hotels took advantage of the pandemic by cutting staffing and suspending guest services that were never restored, causing workers to lose jobs and income – and creating painful working conditions for those who carry the increased workload.

Last year, UNITE HERE members won record contracts after rolling strikes at Los Angeles hotels and a 47-day strike at Detroit casinos, union officials said.

UNITE HERE Local 26 has a history of successful labor strikes, including a 22-day strike at Harvard in 2016, a 46-day strike at Marriott hotels in 2018, and a 79-day strike at the Battery Wharf hotel in 2019, union officials said.

In June 2023, casino workers at Encore Boston Harbor in Everett voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike; it was averted when a tentative agreement was reached less than two days before the strike deadline.

UNITE HERE Local 26 represents workers in the hospitality industries of Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Its members work in Boston and Providence’s best hotels, restaurants, and university dining halls in addition to the Boston Convention Centers, Fenway Park, and Logan International Airport.

“We clean hotel rooms, greet guests, and prepare and serve food for hundreds of thousands of travelers to Boston and the northeast,” union officials said in its statement.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW