San Francisco, CA
Crowds pack San Francisco for Fleet Week festivities
Lots of people headed to San Francisco on Saturday for the Fleet Week weekend activities. Some were disappointed that the ever-popular Blue Angels canceled their flight due to fog.
But, you wouldn’t be able to tell the Blue Angels were called off by the crowds in San Francisco Saturday night.
Fleet Week organizers say the Blue Angels went up for an observation flight and determined it was too foggy to fly. So, their part of the air show was called off at around 3:30 p.m. But crowds stuck around for many other Fleet Week activities.
Pier 39 was packed with people checking out the military ships docked there and listening to a Navy Rock band performing. Businesses around Pier 39 tell us they’ve seen a surge in visitors this week.
Dylan Defreitas, who owns several businesses on Pier 39, including a shop called Expedition, said, ” So far, just looking around and where we’re at right now, it’s actually an increase [in business] over previous years for us. “
“It’s been very positive,” he continued.
San Francisco Travel told NBC Bay Area that it would take them a few weeks to gather the hotel occupancy data to determine how busy this year’s Fleet Week was compared to previous years.
The festivities continue on Sunday with another air show, and — weather permitting– the Blue Angels are expected to take to the skies.
What’s New
Hilton hotel workers in San Francisco voted on Christmas Eve to approve a new union contract after a 93-day strike, according to the Unite Here Local 2 union.
The union, which represents about 15,000 workers in the region, announced that the deal settles the last of the city’s 2024 hotel strikes, covering approximately 900 Hilton workers.
Newsweek has contacted Unite Here Local 2 and Hilton via email for comment.
Justin Sullivan/ASSOCIATED PRESS
Why It Matters
The new contracts after this year’s strikes establish significant improvements in wages, health care and workload protections for workers at Hilton, Hyatt and Marriott-operated hotels.
The agreements conclude months of labor unrest that involved thousands of workers and disrupted San Francisco’s hotel industry.
What To Know
Hilton workers voted 99.4 percent in favor of the agreement on Christmas Eve, which includes a $3 per hour immediate wage increase, additional raises, and protections against understaffing and increased workloads.
The four-year contract preserves affordable union health insurance and provides pension increases. The deal covers workers at Hilton San Francisco Union Square and Parc 55, with 650 workers having actively participated in the strike.
This agreement follows similar contracts reached with Hyatt workers on Friday and Marriott workers last Thursday, covering a total of 2,500 workers who had been on strike since late September.
What People Are Saying
Bill Fung, a housekeeping attendant at Hilton San Francisco Union Square for 29 years, said: “These 93 days have not been easy, and I’m so proud that my coworkers and I never gave up. We stood together through the rain and cold, and even though there were some hard days, it was all worth it. We will go back to work with our health care, good raises, and the confidence of knowing that when we fight, we win.”
Lizzy Tapia, President of Unite Here Local 2, said: “Hilton, Hyatt, and Marriott workers refused to give up their health care or go backwards – and we proved on the picket line that we’re not afraid of a tough fight. As contract talks begin with the city’s other full-service hotels in the new year, they should know that this is the new standard they must accept for their own employees.”
San Francisco Mayor-elect Daniel Lurie said on X: “All those that have been out on strike will be back to work, and just in time for Christmas. So, things are looking bright as we head into 2025.
What Happens Next
Unite Here Local 2 said it would push for other full-service hotels in San Francisco to adopt the same standards established by the Hilton, Hyatt, and Marriott agreements when contract negotiations resume in 2025.
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