San Francisco, CA
Return of Salesforce employees brings boost to downtown San Francisco businesses
The sidewalks were getting busier in downtown San Francisco this week as Salesforce employees returned to working in the office full time.
For Zachary Taylor who manages 83 Proof — a bar just across the street from Salesforce Tower — a full happy hour crowd on a Wednesday was a nice sight.
“I’m seeing faces that I haven’t seen in a while coming back right now and, you know, names on credit card tabs I haven’t seen in a while so that’s always a good sign,” said Taylor.
Like so many businesses in the area, 83 Proof has been profoundly impacted by the large number employees still working from home since the pandemic instead of returning to the office.
This week brought a major change, with Salesforce now requiring most employees to come back to the building. That is music to Taylor’s ears.
“As Salesforce returns, Linked-In returns, some of the law offices. Other companies and AI companies start taking over some of the office space. We’ll just start seeing more normalcy towards a pre-pandemic level,” said Taylor.
Down the street just a block, the people working at International Smoke couldn’t agree more. They said in just the two days since Salesforce employees were required to come back, they’ve noticed a big difference.
“I’ve seen a lot more traffic outside, which is nice. I think people are still getting their bearings straight coming back to the office, so we haven’t necessary seen them come into the office quite yet. It’s only been two days, but you know, we have signs out. We’ve gone by yesterday saying, ‘Hey, we’re here! Come back to us!’” said International Smoke general manager Jose Gorospe.
Gorospe says he expects bigger crowds to start coming in as soon as people get settled into their office routines again.
Back at 83 Proof, Zachary anticipates a similar increase in customers. He says their crowds are still a bit below pre-pandemic levels, but just the fact that people are back working in the area will make a big difference.
“I’m hoping to see about a 10 to 15 percent bump as more and more people get acclimated to going back to the office more and more,” said Taylor.
Bar customer Klara Viktorynova told CBS News Bay Area she also works at a nearby restaurant. She was at 83 Proof celebrating her birthday and said she was happy to see the place filled up with people having a good time.
“I think it’s great to see a lot of professionals that are enjoying themselves. There are so many places in San Francisco that have started doing happy hours that were previously not doing happy hours, just to get a little bit more crowd in. And it’s a wonderful place to be,” said Viktorynova.
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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