Nearly 1,200 workers at four Boston hotels went on strike Thursday, marking the third string of actions roiling the city’s hospitality sector amid stalled labor contract negotiations.
Workers at the Omni Parker House, Omni Boston Seaport, Renaissance Boston Seaport and Westin Boston Seaport are on strike, UNITE HERE Local 26 said Thursday morning. Union members are seeing higher wages and “reasonable workloads” from major hotel companies. It’s the first strike to hit the Parker House, the longest continuously operating hotel in the country, in its history, the union said.
“We have been bargaining with the hotel companies since April,” Carlos Aramayo, the union’s president, said in a statement. “From day one, the Union has been transparent about our demands – we need livable wages, fair scheduling, and safe workloads. But the hotels have continued to disrespect us by offering crumbs. It’s infuriating.”
Workers’ contracts expired on Aug. 31, and union leaders warned last month that roughly 4,500 members across 35 hotels were bracing to go on strike amid rocky negotiations.
Since Labor Day weekend, about 2,500 hotel workers have gone on strike at 12 Boston properties, the union said. Hotels impacted by the two earlier waves of strikes include the Hilton Park Plaza, Hilton Boston Logan Airport, Hampton Inn & Homewood Suites at the Hilton Seaport, Fairmont Copley Plaza, The Dagny Boston, Moxy Boston Downtown, The Newbury Boston and the W Boston.
The union warned that additional “strikes are possible at any time should issues remain unresolved.”
The Massachusetts Women’s Political Caucus earlier this week postponed its Abigail Adams Awards ceremony, slated for Oct. 1 at the Fairmont Copley Hotel, because of “ongoing labor disputes across Boston hotels.”
“We have been working closely with the venue and will reschedule this important event at a later date once the situation is resolved,” MWPC leaders Lora Pellegrini and Kat Cline wrote in a message.
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